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Disruptive Behaviors across Different Disorders: Evaluation of a Clinical Sample Using the Eyberg Child Behavior
Nina Heinrichs1, Inge Kamp-Becker2, Regina Bussing3
11 Institute of Psychology, Technical University of Brunswick, Brunswick, Germany.
Insights
Disruptive behaviors are prevalent in young children seeking mental health services, regardless of diagnosis. These behaviors are more common in clinical samples than the general population, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessment.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Disruptive behaviors are a common concern in pediatric mental health.
- Understanding the prevalence across diagnoses is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of disruptive behaviors in a help-seeking sample of young children.
- To examine how disruptive behaviors vary across different clinical diagnoses (ICD-10).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), a parent-rated scale.
- Collected data from 310 children aged 2-11 years at three German psychiatric clinics.
- Included a majority of outpatient cases.
Main Results:
- Mean intensity scores for disruptive behaviors significantly differed by diagnostic group.
- Children with externalizing disorders showed the highest scores, followed by pervasive developmental disorders and internalizing disorders.
- 70% of the clinical sample exceeded the normative cut-off, compared to 17% in a community sample.
Conclusions:
- Disruptive behaviors are frequent in young children with mental health issues, extending beyond externalizing diagnoses.
- Findings support the Research Domain Criteria approach, suggesting behaviors transcend current diagnostic categories.
- Assessment and conceptualization of disruptive behaviors are vital in treatment planning for all children, irrespective of primary diagnosis.
Objective:
The study reports the prevalence of disruptive behaviors in a help-seeking sample of young children across a diverse range of clinical diagnoses (based on ICD-10).
Method:
The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), a parent rating scale of disruptive behaviors, was completed on 310 children (2-11 years) at three child and adolescent psychiatry clinics in three German states (Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony); the majority of children were outpatients.
Results:
Mean intensity scores of disruptive behaviors differed significantly by diagnostic group, with the lowest ratings within a community sample, and increasingly higher scores in children with a diagnosis from the internalizing spectrum, those with pervasive developmental disorders, and finally, those with externalizing disorders (e. g. hyperkinetic disorder, conduct disorders). Seventy percent of the clinical sample, compared to only 17 % of the community sample, exceeded the normative cut-off score of 111, indicating that disruptive behaviors are common in young German children seeking help for different mental health problems.
Conclusions:
These findings support the Research Domain Criteria approach by showing that disruptive behaviors cross our current diagnostic labels and may need to be assessed and conceptualized in treatment planning, even in children without a primary diagnosis from the externalizing spectrum.
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