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Six-year stability of parent-reported problem behavior in an epidemiological sample
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Sophia Children's Hospital, The Netherlands.
Insights
Child behavior, including internalizing and externalizing problems, shows significant long-term stability across six years in children. This research supports the validity of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) dimensions.
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Child behavior problems are a significant concern for parents and clinicians.
- Understanding the long-term stability of these behaviors is crucial for effective interventions.
- The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is a widely used tool for assessing child psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term stability of child behavior problems over a six-year period.
- To examine the stability of internalizing and externalizing dimensions specifically.
- To assess the validity of the CBCL dimensions based on stability findings.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design with an epidemiological sample of 936 Dutch children.
- Children aged 4-11 years at baseline, assessed every 2 years for 6 years.
- Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) on four separate occasions.
Main Results:
- Considerable long-term stability was found for CBCL syndromes, internalizing and externalizing dimensions, and total problems.
- No significant difference in 6-year stability between internalizing and externalizing scores was observed.
- No significant sex or age differences in the stability of problem behaviors were detected.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the considerable long-term stability of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children.
- The results lend support to the validity of the CBCL's behavioral dimensions.
- The stability of internalizing problems should not be underestimated in longitudinal research.
Abstract:
An epidemiological sample of 936 Dutch children originally aged 4-11 years was assessed at 2-year intervals over a 6-year period. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) on all four occasions. Stability coefficients computed for eight CBCL syndromes, Internalizing and Externalizing dimensions, and total problems revealed considerable long-term stability. There was no significant difference in the 6-year stability of internalizing vs. externalizing scores. This finding was at odds with reports of considerably lower stability of internalizing behavior, and was consistent with findings suggesting that the stability of internalizing problems should not be underestimated. The magnitude and specificity of the long-term stability of internalizing and externalizing scores lends support to the validity of these behavioral dimensions as tapped by the CBCL. No significant sex or age differences in the stability of problem behaviors were found.