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Are American children's problems getting worse? A 13-year comparison
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington 05401.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|November 1, 1993
Summary
Child behavioral and emotional problems increased over 13 years, with more children needing help. This trend affected diverse issues but did not vary by demographics, indicating a need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Child and adolescent psychology
- Developmental psychopathology
- Public health
Background:
- Childhood behavioral and emotional problems are a significant public health concern.
- Understanding secular trends in these problems is crucial for effective intervention and policy.
- Previous research indicated varying prevalence rates across different time periods and cultures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in the prevalence of children's behavioral and emotional problems over a 13-year period.
- To compare parent and teacher reports of child problems and competencies across different assessment years.
- To identify demographic factors influencing these secular changes.
Main Methods:
- A comparative analysis of data from parent and teacher reports using the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher's Report Form.
- Longitudinal assessment of children aged 7 to 16 years across multiple cohorts (1976, 1981-1982, and 1989).
- Statistical comparison of problem and competence scores between different assessment periods, controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.
Main Results:
- Problem scores increased, and competence scores decreased in 1989 compared to earlier assessments.
- These secular changes were statistically significant but small in magnitude, affecting various problems and competencies.
- No significant differences in changes were observed across age, gender, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity.
- The stability of assessment procedures was confirmed by high correlations between item scores over time.
- Despite increases, 1989 U.S. scores remained comparable to those in several other cultures.
Conclusions:
- A greater proportion of children in 1989, compared to 1976, met criteria for needing mental health services.
- The findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring of child mental health trends.
- Future multicohort longitudinal studies are planned to examine predictors of change within and between cohorts.
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