Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T05:00:00.661Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stability of behavior problems in very young children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Susan L. Rose ,
Susan A. Rose  and
Judith F. Feldman
Susan L. Rose*
Affiliation:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center
Susan A. Rose
Affiliation:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center
Judith F. Feldman
Affiliation:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to: Susan L. Rose, Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E. 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examined the stability of behavior problems in 44 low SES children ages 2–5 years using the preschool and standard versions of Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. While scores for the present sample did not differ significantly from Achenbach's standardization sample at age 2, scores at ages 4 and 5 were somewhat elevated; this was true for the Total score, as well as for the two broad-band scores (Internalizing and Externalizing). At all ages, the Internalizing and Externalizing scores correlated highly with one another (r= .58 to .74). Stability coefficients across one to three year intervals revealed significant continuity for the Total and Externalizing scores (r= .42 to .73). Internalizing scores were stable only between ages 4 and 5 (r= .53). In addition, early Externalizing scores also predicted subsequent Internalizing scores, suggesting that early Externalizing symptomatology has diverse implications. Maternal depression and negative life events, assessed at ages 4 and 5, correlated strongly with child behavior scores at both these ages. However, neither factor accounted for the stability in childrens' symptomatology. Overall, the levels of stability found here were comparable to those reported for older children. The results are discussed in terms of developmental psychopathology, with particular attention to the finding that (a) developmentally maladaptive behavior can be identified at very young ages, even in 2-year-olds, and (b) that such behavior problems are far more persistent than hitherto believed. Such findings underscore the importance of early identification and intervention.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 1989 , pp. 5 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1983). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Child Behavior Profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Achenbach, T. M., Edelbrock, C., & Howell, C. (1987). Empirically-based assessment of the behavioral/emotional problems of 2–3 year old children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 629–650.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Achenbach, T. M., & McConaughy, S. H. (1988). Practical guide for the Child Behavior Checklist & related materials. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Anthony, E. J. (1970). Behavior disorders. In Mussen, P. (Ed.), Carmichael's manual of child psychology (3rd ed.) (pp. 667–765). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Anthony, E. J. (1983). An overview of the effects of maternal depression on the infant and child. In Morrison, H. L. (Ed.), Children of depressed patients: Risk, identification and intervention (pp. 1–16). New York: Grune & Stratton.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Causes and treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., & Erbough, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Behar, L. B., & Stringfield, S. (1974). A behavior rating scale for the preschool child. Developmental Psychology, 10, 601–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, S., Breaux, A. M., Ewing, L., & Szumowski, E. (1984). A one-year follow-up study of parent-referred hyperactive preschool children. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 23, 243–249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, S., Ewing, L., Breaux, A. M., & Szumowski, E. (1986). Parent-referred problem three-year-olds: Follow-up at school entry. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 27, 473–488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, S., Schleifer, M., Weiss, G., & Perlman, T. (1977). A two-year follow-up of hyperactive preschoolers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 47, 149–162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, S., Szumowski, E., Ewing, L., Gluck, D., & Breaux, A. M. (1982). A multidimensional assessment of parent-identified behavior problem toddlers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 569–592.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cicchetti, D. (in press). An historical perspective on the discipline of developmental psychopathology. In Rolf, J., Masten, A., Cicchetti, D., Neuchterlein, K., & Weintraub, S. (Eds.), Risk and protective factors in the development of psychopathology. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cicchetti, D., & Schneider-Rosen, K. (1986). An organizational approach to childhood depression. In Rutter, M., Izard, C. E., & Read, P. B. (Eds.), Depression in young people: Developmental and clinical perspectives (pp. 71–134). New York: Guilford.Google Scholar
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coleman, J., Wolkind, S., & Ashley, L. (1977). Symptoms of behaviour disturbance and adjustment to school. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 18, 201–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dohrenwend, B. S., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (Eds.). (1974). Stressful life events: Their nature and effects. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Earls, F. (1980). Prevalence of behavior problems in 3-year-old children: A cross-national replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 1153–1157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Earls, F. (1981). Epidemiological child psychiatry: An American perspective. In Purcell, E. F. (Ed.), Psychopathology of children and youth: A cross cultural perspective (pp. 3–28). New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation.Google Scholar
Earls, F., Jacobs, G., Goldfein, D., Silbert, A., Beardslee, W., & Rivinus, T. (1982). Concurrent validation of a behavior problems scale to use with 3-year-olds. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 21, 47–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fischer, M., Rolf, J., Hasazi, J., & Cummings, L. (1984). Follow-up of a preschool epidemiological sample: Cross-age continuities and predictions of later adjustment with internalizing and externalizing dimensions of behavior. Child Development, 55, 137–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garmezy, N. (1987). Stress, competence, and development: Continuities in the study of schizophrenic adults, children vulnerable to psychopathology, and the search for stress-resistant children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 159–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greist, D. L., Forehand, R., Wells, K. C., & McMahon, R. J. (1980). An examination of differences between nonclinic and behavior problem clinic-referred children and their mothers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89, 497–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greist, D., Wells, K., & Forehand, R. (1979). An examination of predictors of maternal perceptions of maladjustment in clinic referred children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 88, 277–281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunderson, E., & Rahe, R. (Eds.). (1974). Life stress and illness. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.Google Scholar
Hetherington, E., Cox, M., & Cox, R. (1985). Long-term effects of divorce and remarriage on the adjustment of children. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 518–530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hollingshead, A. (1975). Four Factor Index as social status. Unpublished manuscript, Yale University, Department of Sociology, New Haven.Google Scholar
Kohn, M. (1977). Social competence, symptoms and underachievement in childhood: A longitudinal perspective. Washington, DC: Winston.Google Scholar
Kohn, M., & Rosman, B. L. (1972). A social competence scale and symptom checklist for the preschool child: Factor dimensions, their cross-instrument generality, and longitudinal persistence. Developmental Psychology, 6, 430–444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohn, M., & Rosman, B. L. (1973). Cross-situational and longitudinal stability of social-emotional functioning in young children. Child Development, 44, 721–727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovacs, M., Feinberg, T. L., Crouse-Novak, M. A., Paulauskas, S. L., & Finkelstein, R. (1984). Depressive disorders in childhood. I. A longitudinal prospective study of characteristics and recovery. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 229–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Links, P. (1983). Community surveys of the prevalence of childhood psychiatric disorders: A review. Child Development, 54, 531–548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minde, K., & Minde, R. (1977). Behavioural screening of pre-school children: A new approach to mental health? In Graham, P. J. (Ed.), Epidemiological approaches in child psychiatry (pp. 139–163). London: Academic.Google Scholar
Paykel, E. S. (1978). Contribution of life events to causation of psychiatric illness. Psychological Medicine, 8, 245–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pianta, R., Egeland, B., & Hyatt, A. (1986). Maternal relationship history as an indicator of developmental risk. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56, 385–398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New York: International Universities Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richman, N., & Graham, P. (1971). A behavioral screening questionnaire for use with three-year-old children: Preliminary findings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 12, 5–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richman, N., Stevenson, J., & Graham, P. (1975). Prevalence of behavior problems in three year old children: An epidemiological study in a London borough. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 16, 277–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robins, L. (1979). Follow-up studies. In Quay, H. & Werry, J. (Eds.), Psychopathological disorders of childhood (pp. 483–514). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Rose, S. A., & Feldman, J. F. (1987). Infant visual attention: Stability of individual differences from 6 to 8 months. Developmental Psychology, 23, 490–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, S. A., Feldman, J. F., McCarton, C., & Wolfson, J. (1988). Information processing in seven-month-old infants as a function of risk status. Child Development, 59, 589–603.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose, S. A., Feldman, J. F., & Wallace, I. F. (1988). Individual differences in infants' information processing: Reliability, stability and prediction. Child Development, 59, 1177–1197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarason, I., Johnson, J., & Siegel, J. (1978). Assessing the impact of life changes: Development of the life experience survey. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 932–946.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sroufe, L. A., & Rutter, M. (1984). The domain of developmental psychopathology. Child Development, 83, 173–189.Google Scholar
Stevenson, J., & Richman, N. (1978). Behavior, language, and development in three-year-old children. Journal of Autism and Schizophrenia, 8, 299–313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevenson, J., Richman, N., & Graham, P. (1983). Behavior problems and language abilities at three years and behavioral deviance at eight years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24, 215–230.Google Scholar
Weissman, M. M., & Paykel, E. S. (1974). The depressed woman: A study of social relationships. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Weissman, M. M., Paykel, E. S., & Klerman, G. L. (1972). The depressed woman as mother. Social Psychiatry, 7, 98–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar