Emotional and behavioral problems: a school-based study in southern Brazil

• Published in: Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 211 - 217
• Main Authors: Bach, Suelen de Lima, Molina, Mariane Lopez, Amaral, Paulinia Leal do, Reyes, Amanda Neumann, Jansen, Karen, Silva, Ricardo Azevedo da, Motta, Janaína Vieira Dos Santos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Associação de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul - Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy 01-09-2019; Associação de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul
• Subjects: Affective Symptoms - epidemiology; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Brazil - epidemiology; Caregivers; Child; Child & adolescent mental health; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Health; child mental health; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; emotional and behavioral problems; Emotional behavior; Emotions - physiology; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Male; Mental disorders; Mental Health; PSYCHIATRY; Schoolchildren; Schools; Statistical sampling; Brazil; saúde mental infantil; Schoolchildren; Escolares; emotional and behavioral problems; child mental health; problemas emocionais e comportamentais
• ISSN: 2237-6089; 2238-0019; 2238-0019
• DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2017-0119

Mental health assessment in childhood needs to be carried out within a broader context that includes different factors.
To assess the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in schoolchildren and associated factors.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with a school-based sample at 20 schools selected by systematic random sampling. Participants consisted of children aged 7-8 year old and their parents or primary caregivers. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to screen for the presence of emotional and behavioral problems in children.
A total of 596 dyads were evaluated. The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems was 30.0% among boys and 28.2% among girls. Hyperactivity/inattention were more prevalent among boys (p=0.015). Belonging to economically disadvantaged strata increased the likelihood of emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren by 71% (p=0.001), while having parents or caregivers with mental disorder increased by 2.2 times that probability (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings showed a high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren, as well as the influence of economic conditions and of the mental health of parents and caregivers on child mental health.