Prediction of child and adolescent outcomes with broadband and narrowband dimensions of internalizing and externalizing behavior using the child and adolescent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Internalizing and externalizing behaviors in high school adolescents in a northern border city of Mexico and their type of family

OBJECTIVE

Identify externalizing and internalizing behaviors in high school adolescents in three schools in a northern border city in Mexico and their type of family.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

LOCATION

Three schools in the city of Tijuana, Mexico: two public and one private.

PARTICIPANTS

454 baccalaureate students 14-19 years old.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

We utilized Youth Self Report Scale, adapted and validated in Spanish, that measure internalization behaviors (anxiety, depression, isolation or somatic complaints), and externalization behaviors (verbal aggressiveness, delinquent behavior and attention-seeking). For dichotomous discrimination between deviant and nondeviant scores, we use the borderline clinical range by classifying YSR scale's T scores≥60, and to analyze the relationship between behavior problems or competencies and living or not in a nuclear family we utilized multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

55% were female, mean age 16.4 years±0.98, and 62.3% came from a nuclear family. Prevalence of internalizing behaviors was 15.6%, and externalizing behaviors 14.8%. Women had statistically higher mean scores in depressive, anxious and verbally aggressive behavior, somatic complaints, and thought problems. The prevalence of internalizing behaviors in adolescents with nuclear family was 11.7% (n=33), and for adolescents with another type of family was 22.2% (n=38), OR 2.17 (CI 95% 1.30-3.61, p=0.003), but no differences was observed for externalizing behaviors and family type. When adjusted for sex, age, and public or private school, internalizing behaviors and specifically depressive behavior remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS

We detected a moderate prevalence of internalizing behaviors in Mexican adolescents, predominantly among women, and also observed that not living with a nuclear family increases the odds of presenting internalizing behaviors. It is important that parents, teachers, and healthcare workers remain vigilant to detect these problems in a timely manner and develop interventions to improve the mental health and well-being of adolescents.

Adipocytokine correlates of childhood and adolescent mental health: A systematic review

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the current state of the literature regarding how adipocytokines associate with mental health symptoms/disorders in youth. Findings summarized in this review suggested that in neurodevelopmental disorders, higher levels of leptin, ghrelin, resistin, and visfatin as well as lower levels of adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4, and progranulin predicted increased risk for or were conflated with autism spectrum disorder. Adipocytokine correlates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and related symptoms included higher apelin, higher leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, and lower adiponectin. Evidence from studies examining anxiety symptoms evinced mixed results regarding leptin, and one study suggested higher levels of ghrelin. Depressive symptoms correlated with higher leptin and ghrelin. Research examining posttraumatic stress symptoms found higher levels of ghrelin. In research examining broadband symptoms, conflicting results emerged for associations between internalizing symptoms (i.e., symptoms of emotional stress) and leptin in youth. Low levels of adiponectin and high levels of leptin predicted externalizing symptoms. Total symptom difficulties were associated with a higher leptin-to-adiponectin ratio. Our findings suggest that adipocytokines may be an important set of biomarkers to consider as underlying mechanisms contributing to developmental psychopathology.

Short measures of youth psychopathology: psychometric properties of the brief problem monitor (BPM) and the behavior and feelings survey (BFS) in a Norwegian clinical sample

Background

Tracking clinical outcomes during therapy can be useful for improving both clinical practice and research. For repeated data collection, short, reliable, and valid measures of central aspects of psychopathology are necessary. The current paper investigates the psychometric properties of two short surveys for measuring central dimensions of psychopathology in youth.

Methods

We investigated the factor structure and validity of the Norwegian translations of the Behavior and Feelings Survey (BFS) and the Brief Problem Monitor (BPM). The BFS has previously shown a two-factor structure and indications of validity as a measure of internalizing and externalizing problems in youth. The BPM has support for a three-factor structure of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. In our sample of 503 patients (56% female, age 6 to 18) in a Norwegian outpatient clinic, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses to test the assumed measurement models and further considered the concurrent validity of the measures.

Results

Internal reliability of both measures were good. The results suggest that the assumed measurement models for both questionnaires only partly fit our data but that subscales of the BFS and BPM still indicate convergent validity. Scores on subscales (internalizing and externalizing problems) on both measures converged with relevant subscales as well as with relevant groups of diagnoses.

Conclusions

Alternative measurement models, and the usefulness and limitations of these short-form questionnaires for internalizing and externalizing problems, are discussed.

Behavioural and Emotional difficulties in School children during COVID 19 pandemic using narrowband dimensions of SDQ: Online survey from North? East India

BACKGROUND

Containment strategies such as lockdown during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have forced home confinement of many children. Data on psychological difficulties in children during lockdown are scarce from this part of the country.

AIM

The aim of the study is to describe the burden and pattern of behavioral and emotional problems of schoolchildren during COVID-19 lockdown in a small town from Northeastern India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Caregivers of children (4-17 years old) attending English medium schools of the town were invited to participate in the study. A descriptive cross-sectional online survey using purposive nonprobability sampling was conducted between August and September 2020. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure behavioral and emotional difficulties of children. Responses were based on child's behaviors over the last 6 months which coincided with the ongoing lockdown period in the region.

RESULTS

A total of 304 responses were received, among which 242 were considered for analysis. The parent-reported SDQ showed 23.1% of children having emotional or behavioral problems during the COVID-19 lockdown. Peer problems (43.4%) were the most common, followed by conduct problems (25.6%), emotional problems (23.1%), and hyperactivity (11.1%). Type of family (nuclear/joint/extended) was significantly associated with total difficulties (χ² = 6.608, P = 0.03), conduct problems (χ² = 8.492, P = 0.01), and hyperactivity (χ² = 5.908, P = 0.05). Socioeconomic status of the family was associated with hyperactivity (χ² = 8.755, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Significant number of children have behavioral and emotional difficulties during COVID-19 lockdown period.