A prospective study of childhood emotional and behavioural problems in Port Pirie, South Australia.

Abstract

To describe the extent to which emotional and behavioural problems experienced by 5-year-old children living in or around Port Pirie, South Australia, persisted when the children were aged 11-12 years. Childhood emotional and behavioural problems were identified at the age of 5 years using Child Behaviour Checklists completed by mothers. When the children were aged 11-12 years, problems were identified using checklists completed by mothers, children and teachers. Attention problems, aggressive behaviour and anxious/depressed problems were the most persistent problems over this period of the children's lives. In general, the strongest relationship over time occurred when reports were obtained from mothers on each occasion. A weaker relationship existed between earlier mother-reported problems and later teacher-reported problems, while the relationship between mother-reported problems and later self-reported problems occupied an intermediate position. The course of problems among children in Port Pirie appeared similar to that previously reported for children in Holland and North America. To better understand the aetiology of psychiatric disorders and to plan for effective interventions, more information is needed about the natural course of childhood emotional and behavioural disorders in Australia.