A prospective study of behavioral and emotional symptoms in preschoolers

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry
• Pediatric Mental Health

Background:

• A significant proportion of preschool children display psychological symptoms impacting their well-being and family life.
• Understanding the trajectory of these symptoms during early childhood is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, stability, and changes in emotional and behavioral symptoms in preschoolers.
• To assess the resulting impairment associated with these symptoms across two time points in preschool age.
• To examine gender differences in symptom presentation and change.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 1,034 children from the general population, assessed at mean ages of 51 and 72 months.
• Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) extended version.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, stability analyses, and multiple regression.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of abnormal total difficulties scores decreased from 6.9% to 5.7%; abnormal total impact scores decreased from 6.8% to 6.2%.
• Moderate stability of symptoms was observed; emotional symptoms and prosocial behavior increased, while hyperactivity, conduct, and peer problems decreased.
• Boys exhibited higher symptom and impact levels (except emotional symptoms) and lower prosocial behavior than girls; girls showed greater decreases in hyperactivity and total difficulties.

Conclusions:

• Psychological symptoms in preschoolers show moderate stability but also significant change, with some symptoms decreasing and others increasing over time.
• Gender plays a role in symptom presentation and change, with girls demonstrating more favorable changes in certain areas.
• Baseline symptom severity, male gender, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems predict later impairment, highlighting key targets for intervention.