Dataset Information

Prevalence of clinical-level emotional/behavioral problems in schoolchildren during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan: A prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several empirical studies have investigated negative mental health outcomes related to the spread of infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, little is known about children's emotional/behavioral problems, especially externalizing problems, during such situations. This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate pandemic-related emotional/behavioral problems and their risk factors among schoolchildren in Japan.

Methods

A total of 4800 parents with children in grades 1-12 participated in a two-wave longitudinal survey. Wave 1 and Wave 2 were conducted on March 4-8 and May 15-18, 2020, respectively. Survey items included demographic information, parental depression, children's diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders, the total length of school closure, and emotional/behavioral problems. Children's emotional/behavioral problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which has cutoff points to differentiate clinical-level problems, which were the primary focus of this study.

Results

The proportions of clinical-level problems were higher at Wave 2 (emotional symptoms = 24.8%, conduct problems = 22.7%, hyperactivity/inattention = 36.8%, peer relationship problems = 36.2%, and lack of prosocial behavior = 23.5%) compared to Wave 1. Lower grade-level and lower annual family income predicted the increased proportions of children's clinical-level emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, and prosocial behavior at Wave 2. The total length of school closure was not a significant predictor of subsequent emotional/behavioral problems. The highest proportion of clinical-level problems at Wave 2 for the four SDQ subscales was observed in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Conclusions

The number of schoolchildren with severe emotional/behavioral problems increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate prevention and early intervention programs should be provided, especially for children who are in lower grade levels, have low family incomes, or have neurodevelopmental disorders.

SUBMITTER: Takahashi F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8206658 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundTeacher reports of child emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) are sparse in many low- and middle-income countries, especially when compared to reports from parents. Cross-informant information is pivotal to clinicians when dealing with mentally ill children. In this study from Nepal, we examined teacher reports of child EBPs, the agreement between teacher and parent reports, and how this agreement varied by type of EBP and child gender.MethodsThis cross-sectional, observational study included 3808 schoolchildren aged 6-18 years from 16 districts of Nepal. Teacher and parent reports of EBPs were measured by the Nepali versions of the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), respectively. Linear mixed model analysis was used for group comparisons and intraclass correlations. Agreement between TRF and CBCL scale scores were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient.ResultsThe prevalence of EBPs according to teacher reports was 15.4%, whereas the previous parent reported prevalence was 19.1%. Also, the mean TRF score was significantly lower than mean CBCL score for the 90 common items. Mean TRF scores for Total Problems, Externalizing Problems, and Internalizing Problems were 26.9 (standard deviation, SD 24.5), 6.1 (SD 7.2), and 7.9 (SD 7.3), respectively. Consistent with parent reports, mean TRF scores for Total Problems and Externalizing Problems were higher among boys than girls, whereas no significant gender differences were found for Internalizing Problems. Teacher-parent agreement was moderate (r = .38), and slightly higher for Externalizing Problems than for Internalizing Problems (r = .37 versus r = .34). Moderate to low correlations were found for all syndrome scales, with coefficients ranging from r = .26 (Social Problems) to r = .37 (Attention Problems). The effect of child gender on the teacher-parent agreement was significant for Internalizing Problems only, with a higher agreement for girls than for boys.ConclusionNepali teachers reported fewer child EBPs than parents. Teacher-parent agreement was moderate and varied by type of EBP and child gender. Our findings underscore the importance of obtaining information on child EBPs from both parents and teachers when evaluating and treating children in low- and middle-income countries like Nepal.