Higher Rates Of Behavioral Problems Research Articles

Testing the combined effects of the PAX Good Behavior Game and MyTeachingPartner™ coaching for early career teachers: Impacts on teacher-student interaction quality and teachers' occupational health

Early career teachers experience exceptionally high rates of attrition from the profession, often due in part to elevated concerns about student behavior and poor occupational health. This study reports findings from a randomized controlled trial testing the combined effect of the PAX Good Behavior Game and MyTeachingPartner™ for 188 early career, early elementary teachers (Grades K–3). Of primary focus were observations of the quality of teachers' interactions with students and their self-reported occupational health over 2 consecutive school years. Results indicated that relative to comparison teachers, those in the intervention condition reported lower distress at follow-up (d = −0.23) and less decline in teacher affiliation across the 2-year period (d = 0.50). In addition, the intervention teachers who were highly distressed at baseline and who experienced high levels of disruptive behavior had higher quality interactions with students around emotional support (d = 0.27), classroom organization (d = 0.32), and instructional support (d = 0.69) at the end of 2 years than comparison teachers. This subgroup of intervention teachers also experienced more favorable changes over time in distress (d = −2.47) and teacher affiliation (d = 3.00) over the course of the study. Professional development focused on classroom management with coaching support may be particularly impactful for early career teachers experiencing higher levels of distress and in classrooms with higher rates of behavior problems.

The Relationship Between Sleep, Cognition and Behavior in Children With Newly-Diagnosed Epilepsy Over 36 Months.

IntroductionThere is substantial evidence that children with epilepsy experience more sleep, behavior and cognitive challenges than children without epilepsy. However, the literature is limited in describing the relationship between sleep, epilepsy, cognition and behavioral challenges and the interactions amongst these factors over time. This study aims to understand the nature and strength of the relationship between sleep, cognition, mood and behavior in children with new-onset epilepsy as assessed by multiple informants at multiple time periods using multiple different dependent measures.Methods332 participants (6–16years) were recruited within 6 weeks of their first recognized seizure. The comparison group was comprised of 266 healthy siblings. Participants underwent sleep evaluation by a parent using the Sleep Behavioral Questionnaire (SBQ), cognitive evaluation using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery, a behavioral evaluation using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL from parents and TRF from teachers) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). These evaluations were completed at baseline (B), at 18 months, and at 36 months.ResultsCompared to siblings, children with new-onset epilepsy had more sleep disturbance (SBQ), higher rates of behavioral problems (CBCL and TRF), lower cognitive testing scores, and higher rates of depression; which persisted over the 36-month study. Sleep significantly correlated with behavioral problems, cognitive scores and depression. When divided into categories based of sleep disturbance scores, 39.7% of children with epilepsy experienced “Persistently Abnormal Sleep”, while 14.8% experienced “Persistently Normal Sleep”. Children with persistently abnormal sleep experienced the highest rates of behavioral problems, depression and cognitive impairment compared to those with persistently normal sleep, regardless of epilepsy syndrome. Younger age of seizure onset, younger age at testing, and lower grade level at baseline were associated with persistently abnormal sleep.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the nature, strength, reliability, stability and persistence of the relationship between sleep, cognition, and behavioral problems over time in a large cohort of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy, as assessed by multiple informants at different timepoints. The results of this study indicate that children with epilepsy are at a high risk of significant persisting neurobehavioral multimorbidity. Therefore, early screening for these challenges may be essential for optimizing quality of life long-term.

Analysis of related factors of behavioral problems in children with congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia.

SUMMARYOBJECTIVE:This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with behavioral problems in children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia.METHODS:Random sampling is utilized to obtain a sample of 90 patients. The behavioral problems of the patients are detected by Achenbach Children's Behavior Scale. Parental emotional problems are investigated by the Self-Rating Depression Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale.RESULTS:The results demonstrate that the detection rate of behavioral problems in children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia is 53.3% (48/90). Among these behavioral problems, an abnormal rate is higher in the four dimensions: thinking, violation of discipline, social interaction, and aggression. The anxiety and depression scores of caregivers are statistically higher in the abnormal group than in the normal group. The results of the multivariate analysis show that the anxiety degree of the parents had a significant impact on the behavior of the children.CONCLUSIONS:Children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia are facing the issues of high rates of behavioral problems. Parents of children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia had higher levels of anxiety and depression than parents of normal children. The anxiety and depressive state of mind of parents or caregivers had a significant impact on the behavior of children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia.

Socioemotional Characteristics of Children With and Without Learning Disabilities

The purpose of the study was to characterize the relationships between behavior problems, academic achievement, and loneliness of students in the upper and lower thirds of a social skills classification. Participants were 733 students (359 boys and 374 girls) ages 9 to 14 years, 642 without learning disabilities (LDs) and 91 with LDs. Their homeroom teacher rated their social skills, and accordingly the upper and lower thirds of social skills scores were determined. Results showed differences in behavior problems between the low and high social skills groups. Boys displayed higher rates of behavior problems. Students with LDs achieved lower scores than their peers in academic achievements and higher scores in loneliness. The final model of the binary stepwise logistic regression showed that loneliness, behavior problems, and academic achievements were related to social skills, explaining 60% of the pseudo-variance (Cox & Snell R2 = .60). The findings help target individual variables that can promote school adjustment.

Relationship between non-cardiac chest pain and internalizing problems in pre-school aged children.

Non-cardiac chest pain is a common and persistent problem for children; yet, typically, there is no clear medical cause. To date, no behavioural and/or psychological factors have been studied to explain chest pain in a pre-school paediatric sample. We hypothesized that pre-school children with medically unexplained chest pain would have higher rates of behavioural problems compared to healthy controls. We assessed 41 pre-school children with non-cardiac chest pain and 68 age matched children with benign heart murmurs as the control group using the Child Behaviour Check List-1 1/2-5 to evaluate emotional and behavioural problems. Internalizing problem scores comprising emotionally reactive, anxiety/depression, and somatic complaints were higher in children with non-cardiac chest pain than in the control group. Among the possible factors, the factor that is related to behaviour problem scores, in univariate analysis, was a significant and inverse correlation between maternal education and behaviour problem scores. Also, maternal employment status was associated with behavioural problems. Children with a housewife mother were more susceptible to having such behavioural problems. Based on multiple regression analyses, being in the non-cardiac chest pain group was found to be significantly related to internalizing problems in our total sample. These results suggest that pre-school children with non-cardiac chest pain may experience increased levels of certain behavioural comorbidities. Systematic behavioural screening could increase the detection of behavioural problems and improve care for this population. Future studies of non-cardiac chest pain in pre-school children should include larger samples and comprehensive diagnostic assessments as well as long-term follow-up evaluations.

Behavior Problems Following Childhood TBI: The Role of Sex, Age, and Time Since Injury

To examine the frequency of behavioral problems after childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their associations with injury severity, sex, and social environmental factors. Children's hospitals in the Midwestern/Western United States. 381 boys and 210 girls with moderate (n = 359) and severe (n = 227) TBI, with an average age at injury of 11.7 years (range 0.3-18) who were injured ≤3 years ago. Secondary data analysis of a multistudy cohort. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) administered pretreatment. Thirty-seven percent had borderline/clinical elevations on the CBCL Total Problem Scale, with comparable rates of Internalizing and Externalizing problems (33% and 31%, respectively). Less parental education was associated with higher rates of internalizing, externalizing, and total problems. Time since injury had a linear association with internalizing symptoms, with greater symptoms at longer postinjury intervals. Younger boys had significantly higher levels of oppositional defiant symptoms than girls, whereas older girls had significantly greater attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms than boys. Pediatric TBI is associated with high rates of behavior problems, with lower socioeconomic status predicting substantially elevated risk. Associations of higher levels of internalizing symptoms with greater time since injury highlight the importance of tracking children over time.

Trajectories of behavioral problems among moderate-late preterm children from 4 to 10 years: A prospective population-based study

BackgroundA growing body of research suggests that moderate to late preterm children (MLP; 32 through 36 weeks of gestation) may have higher rates of behavioral problems than full-term (FT) children. However, few studies have followed MLP children over time using a longitudinal design with repeated measures. AimThe current prospective longitudinal study aims to examine the relation between MLP birth and trajectories of behavioral problems among children from ages 4 to 10 years. Study design and subjectsThe data comes from a Canadian representative population-based study including 1841 FT children and 89 MLP children. Outcome measuresFour categories of behavioral problems were measured repeatedly from 4 to 10 years using parent and teacher reports: hyperactivity-impulsivity, inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression. Developmental trajectories were modeled using Mplus. ResultsAfter accounting for child sex and family income, a significant and persistent association was found between MLP birth and the developmental trajectory of hyperactivity-impulsivity reported by the parent. No relation was found regarding trajectories of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems. ConclusionsAccording to parent reports, MLP children were more likely to exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors compared to FT peers during early childhood. However, the relation between MLP birth and the trajectory of parent-reported hyperactivity-impulsivity was small and was not confirmed by teacher evaluation. Moreover, MLP children did not differ from FT children regarding the overall trajectory of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.

Educational Social Skills and Repertoire of Children Differentiated by Behavior and Sex

Abstract Our study sought to compare mothers’ behavioral repertoire (educational social skills and negative practices) and maternal anxiety and depression indicators with children’s behaviors (behavior problems and social skills), by assessing the variables “sex” (boys and girls) and “occurrence of behavior problems”. The sample consisted of 20 children with behavior problems (clinical group), 20 without behavior problems (non-clinical group), their mothers and teachers. Reporting instruments were used with teachers and mothers and comparative analyzes were conducted between groups. The results indicated that the clinical group had higher rates of behavior problems and maternal depressive symptoms, whereas the non-clinical group showed more child social and educational social skills. Sex did not differ between groups. We concluded that maternal educational practices are more influenced by children’s behaviors than by their sex.

Comparative Study of Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Health Problems in Deaf and Hearing Adolescents in a Semi-Inclusive Setting in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

Adolescents with deafness exhibit higher mental health problems when compared with their hearing peers. There is limited information on the mental health problems of adolescents with deafness living in the sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mental health problems in a group of deaf adolescents and the relationship with socio-demographic characteristics and to compare with their hearing counterparts. Materials and Methods: Teachers of 102 deaf adolescents and 102 age- and sex-matched hearing adolescents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Severity of deafness was assessed using Pure Tone Audiometry, using a five-frequency average. Results: The results showed that 88.2% and 11.8% of the deaf participants had profound and severe forms of deafness respectively. The prevalence of behavioural problems was significantly higher in the deaf adolescents than the control, as assessed by their teachers’ (64.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.001). Ninety seven percent of the deaf participants reported no hearing aids use. Parental separation/divorce and mother’s educational status were significantly associated with higher rates of behavioural problems (p < 0.05). There was no significant association between severity of impairment and mental health problems. Conclusion: Almost all the factors associated with deafness that are highlighted in this study are preventable through appropriate health and social interventions such as hearing aids, and will require that appropriate policy measures are put in place.

Residential education as an alternative for promoting psychosocial and behavioral outcomes among high-risk young Macanese males

Residential education which integrates both home and school life aims to help youth who are socially or economically disadvantaged. Using Macanese school samples, the study analyzes the demographic background, personal characteristics, and behavioral problems of current and graduate boarding students, together with a control group of students from an ordinary school.A sample of 246 male students (69 current boarders, 37 boarding graduates, and 140 controls) was subjected to statistical analysis. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were conducted to explore the risk profile of boarding students relative to control students, who are from an ordinary school, and to identify the protective factors that associate with positive transitions.The results indicate that the boarding students commonly had problematic family backgrounds and showed higher rates of behavioral problems than the control students. Contrary to our expectations, boarding students reported higher levels of school commitment and self-efficacy. The regression results indicate that being a boarding student is associated with higher peer attachment and greater self-efficacy. In addition, boarding graduates reported less involvement in violent crime and maintained high self-efficacy and school commitment after leaving residential education.Adolescents receiving residential education exhibited low incidence of behavioral problems and possessed essential coping capabilities to minimize negative life events. Our findings suggest that residential education may be a promising means to alleviate psychosocial and behavioral maladjustment and to promote positive change among high-risk youth.

Being Poorer Than the Rest of the Neighborhood: Relative Deprivation and Problem Behavior of Youth

According to the neighborhood effects hypothesis, there is a negative relation between neighborhood wealth and youth’s problem behavior. It is often assumed that there are more problems in deprived neighborhoods, but there are also reports of higher rates of behavioral problems in more affluent neighborhoods. Much of this literature does not take into account relative wealth. Our central question was whether the economic position of adolescents’ families, relative to the neighborhood in which they lived, was related to adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. We used longitudinal data for youth between 12–16 and 16–20 years of age, combined with population register data (N = 926; 55% females). We employ between-within models to account for time-invariant confounders, including parental background characteristics. Our findings show that, for adolescents, moving to a more affluent neighborhood was related to increased levels of depression, social phobia, aggression, and conflict with fathers and mothers. This could be indirect evidence for the relative deprivation mechanism, but we could not confirm this, and we did not find any gender differences. The results do suggest that future research should further investigate the role of individuals’ relative position in their neighborhood in order not to overgeneralize neighborhood effects and to find out for whom neighborhoods matter.

Earlier school start times are associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in elementary schools

BackgroundEarly school start times may curtail children's sleep and inadvertently promote sleep restriction. The current study examines the potential implications for early school start times for behavioral problems in public elementary schools (student ages 5-12 years) in Kentucky. MethodSchool start times were obtained from school Web sites or by calling school offices; behavioral and disciplinary problems, along with demographic information about schools, were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education. Estimated associations controlled for teacher/student ratio, racial composition, school rank, enrollment, and Appalachian location. ResultsAssociations between early school start time and greater behavioral problems (harassment, in-school removals, suspensions, and expulsions) were observed, although some of these associations were found only for schools serving the non-Appalachian region. ConclusionsFindings support the growing body of research showing that early school start times may contribute to student problems, and extend this research through a large-scale examination of elementary schools, behavioral outcomes, and potential moderators of risk.

Intellectual Disability and Developmental Risk: Promoting Intervention to Improve Child and Family Well-Being.

Initial intervention processes for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) largely focused on direct efforts to impact core cognitive and academic deficits associated with the diagnosis. Recent research on risk processes in families of children with ID, however, has influenced new developmental system approaches to early intervention. Recent risk and resilience processes are reviewed that connect stress, family process, and the high rates of behavioral problems in children with ID that have substantial influence on child and family outcomes. These models are linked to emerging evidence-based intervention processes that focus on strategic parent skill training and mindfulness interventions that reduce parental stress and create indirect benefits for children's behavioral competencies. A family-focused developmental systems approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2011) is emphasized.

Behavior problems and social competence in Brazilian children with specific language impairment

This study aimed to investigate the behavior and social profile of Brazilian children with specific language impairment (SLI) and explore whether the severity of language deficits was associated with behavioral problems and low social competence. Twenty-four children with SLI aged from 6 to 11 years who showed substantial expressive language problems and were receiving speech-language therapy were assessed through the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Children with SLI showed high rates of behavioral problems and low levels of social competence. With the exception of two subscales (“somatic” and “rule breaker”), the percentage of children with SLI at risk of behavioral problems was significantly higher than the same proportion in the general population; and almost all children with SLI (95.2 %) demonstrated problems with social competence. The severity of language deficits was associated with the risk of behavioral problems according to only one criterion. No associations were found between the severity of language problems and social competence. The study provides cross-cultural evidence to support the existence of behavior problems and reduced social competence in children with SLI. Our findings point to the need of using a combination of measures to classify the severity of language problems rather than a single dimension.

Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children by Gerald Markowitz, David Rosner

Reviewed by: Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children by Gerald Markowitz, David Rosner Julie Sze Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner. Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013. xxii + 298 pp. Ill. $29.95 (978-0-520-28393-0). Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children is the definitive history of childhood lead poisoning in the United States. In it, historians Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner untangle several important story lines. First is the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning and its devastating health impacts on children, particularly in low-income and African American communities, which are disproportionately affected. Second is the scientific and political debate of what to do about lead poisoning. Third is the ethical and legal morass of the Kennedy Krieger/Johns Hopkins case in Baltimore in the 1990s. Each of these strands itself is significant, but what is particularly important is that this book uses a vast archive to untangle the complicated web of factors into a compelling narrative that is disturbing and important. First, the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning remains a major public health issue. In 2012, more that 250,000 children still suffer from it, despite major gains in lead reduction, as lead was taken out of gasoline and paint in the latter half of the twentieth century (lead also enters the environment from insecticides and smelting and fabricating processes). Lead exposure causes major physiological and neurological damage. Children with low levels of lead have been shown to have higher rates of behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and problems with impulse control, lower IQs, and higher rates of arrests. Second, the 1960s saw major community activism around childhood lead poisoning by social justice groups and radical organizations, ranging from the Harlem Park Neighborhood Organization in Baltimore to the Young Lords and the Black Panthers. At the same time, public health advocates and doctors like J. Julian Chisolm, Jane Lin-Fu, and Herbert Needleman conducted important research, wrote reports, and sounded the clarion call about the problems of low-level lead exposure. As Markowitz and Rosner demonstrate, the sad story of lead is emblematic of larger debates about public health as a field, since lead poisoning challenges paradigms of what constituted health and disease—in terms of dosage effects and solutions. They take us into meetings at health associations and hearings at regulatory agencies and walk us through legal arguments of paint companies and landlords who fought their liability in both historical and contemporary terms. While remaining laser-focused on childhood lead poisoning, the authors also explain the larger political and ideological contexts for what became one of the most notorious recent legal and ethical cases involving public health research. In 2001, the Court of Appeals in Maryland ruled in favor of two African American children and their families against the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), a children’s clinic and research center at Johns Hopkins. The KKI conducted a six-year study of childhood lead exposure, designed to find the cheapest way to reduce the lead exposure, although elimination is best for children’s health. The study recruited children to live in homes where researchers knew there was lead, which [End Page 570] the court compared to the worst violations of health research in the twentieth century—Nazi research and the Tuskegee syphilis study. Markowitz and Rosner do a remarkable job of discussing this case from all perspectives and situating it within the Reagan-era political moment that saw the demands for landlord abatement of lead as politically unfeasible. Markowitz and Rosner are coauthors of Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution, the definitive histories of silicosis, and now a book on lead. Their work is meticulously researched, and the histories they recount move from the home to the clinic, government agency, courtroom, and media. What makes their work particularly important is that they have the intellectual architecture to explain why their story matters to those who are not already passionate about children’s health in general or lead poisoning specifically. Their ultimate argument is to show what the contested politics...

Being Poorer than the Rest of the Neighbourhood: Relative Deprivation and Problem Behaviour of Youth

According to the neighbourhood effects hypothesis, there is a negative relation between neighbourhood wealth and youths' problem behaviour. It is often assumed that there are more problems in deprived neighbourhoods, but there are also reports of higher rates of behavioural problems in more affluent neighbourhoods. Much of this literature does not take into account relative wealth. Our central question was whether the economic position of adolescents' families relative to the neighbourhood in which they lived, was related to adolescents' internalising and externalising problem behaviour. We used longitudinal data for youths between 12-21 years of age, combined with population register data. We employ between-within models to account for time-invariant confounders, including parental background characteristics. Our findings show that for adolescents, moving to a more affluent neighbourhood was related to increased levels of depression, social phobia, aggression, and conflict with father and mother. This could be indirect evidence for the relative deprivation mechanism, but we could not confirm this, and we did not find any gender differences. The results do suggest that future research should further investigate the role of individuals' relative position in their neighbourhood in order not to overgeneralise neighbourhood effects and to find out for whom neighbourhoods matter.

Social Skills in Children Adopted From Socially-Emotionally Depriving Institutions

ABSTRACTThis study assessed social skills in post-institutionalized (PI) children with respect to age at adoption, age at assessment, and gender. Parent ratings of social skills (Social Skills Rating System) and behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were obtained for 214 children and 127 adolescents who were adopted from socially-emotionally depriving Russian institutions. Results showed that children adopted before 18 months of age have better social skills than those adopted after this age; those assessed in childhood demonstrate better social skills than those assessed in adolescence. PI females, especially later-adopted adolescents, have particularly poor social skills. Children with poor social skills tend to have higher rates of behavior problems.

The role of psychology in a pediatric outpatient cardiology setting: preliminary results from a new clinical program.

The aim of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of a new clinical program integrating psychology services within a pediatric outpatient cardiology clinic. Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) (n = 79) were referred for psychological services by their pediatric cardiologist. Parents completed the child behavior checklist, and the pediatric quality of life inventory generic core scales (PedsQL parent report). Teachers completed the teacher report form. Reasons for referral included: emotional problems (29%); attention problems (25%); learning problems (22%); behavior problems (16%); and developmental delay (8%). Parents and teachers reported higher rates of behavior problems and lower quality of life scores than the general population. Psychological evaluation suggested that incorporating a psychologist within a pediatric cardiology clinic may be beneficial for children with CHD in order to optimize their psychosocial functioning. Practice implications for implementing psychology services within a pediatric outpatient cardiology program are discussed.

Developmental Timing of Housing Mobility: Longitudinal Effects on Externalizing Behaviors among At-Risk Youth

This longitudinal study tested whether developmental timing of exposure to housing mobility exacerbates behavior problems in an at-risk sample of youth. Participants were 2,442 youth 4 to 16 years old at risk for child maltreatment followed at 3 time points over a 36-month follow-up. Caregivers reported on youth externalizing behaviors at each assessment. Latent growth models examined the effect of housing mobility on behavior problems after accounting for change in cognitive development, family instability, child gender, ethnicity, family income, and caregiver mental health at baseline. Findings suggested increased housing mobility predicted greater behavior problems when children were exposed at key developmental periods. Preschoolers exhibited significantly higher rates of behavior problems that remained stable across the 3-year follow-up. Likewise, adolescents exposed to more mobility became relatively more disruptive over time. No effects were found for school-age children. Children who moved frequently during infancy and more recently demonstrated significantly worse behavior over time. The developmental timing of housing mobility affects child behavioral outcomes. Youth in developmental transition at the time of mobility are at greatest risk for disturbances to residential contexts. Assessing housing history represents an important component of interventions with at-risk families.

부부갈등과 어머니의 분노 및 우울이 유아의 행동문제에 미치는 영향

This study examined the effects of marital conflict and mothers` anger and depression on the behavioral problems of preschoolers. A total of 393 mothers with 3-year-old preschoolers responded to questionnaires, which included items related to marital conflict, mothers` anger and depression, and their preschoolers` behavioral problems. Data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. The results indicated that marital conflict had no direct effect, but there were indirect effects on preschoolers` behavioral problems caused by mothers` anger and depression. Mothers who believed that they were experiencing high levels of marital conflict revealed high levels of anger and depression and reported higher rates of behavioral problems in their children. Mothers` depression also mediated the impact of marital conflict on preschoolers` behavioral problems, but mothers` anger level apparently did not. The effects of mothers` level of depression on preschoolers` behavioral problems were the highest among all the predictors. These findings imply that both improving marital relationships and regulating mothers` anger and depression levels need to be emphasized when designing prevention and intervention programs aimed at improving the behavioral problems of preschoolers.