Estimation and Linkage Between Behavioral Problems and Social Emotional Competence Among Pakistani Young School Children

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2023 May 25

PMID 37228066

Authors

Arooj Najmussaqib

Asia Mushtaq

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Behavioral problems are commonly occurring concerns in school children and if left unidentified can result in worse outcomes in any society. The research aims to explore the prevalence of behavioral problems and its association with social emotional competence in young school children from a community sample of Islamabad, Pakistan. The cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2021 in four public primary schools in Islamabad, Pakistan. Two stage cluster sampling was used to select study sites. The sample comprised 426 school children (males = 182, females = 195) aged 4-8 years (Mean age = 6.5, SD = 1.09), from three different grades kindergarten, 1, and 2, respectively. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Social Emotional Development Assessment (SEDA) were used to screen behavioral problems and social emotional competences of children. Data were analyzed using Stata 17. Prevalence for overall behavioral problems accounted for 65.4% (4-6 years) and 36.2% (6-8 years) in the abnormal (borderline and clinical) ranges of total problems. Social emotional competence scores were found significantly negatively associated with behavioral problems of children. The high prevalence necessitates the provision of mental health care to school-aged children. The findings should be taken as a call to Pakistan's policymakers, clinicians, and researchers to develop proper screening and management protocols for early intervention.

References

Syed E, Hussein S, Mahmud S . Screening for emotional and behavioural problems amongst 5-11-year-old school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2007; 42(5):421-7. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-007-0188-x. View

Novak M, Mihic J, Basic J, Nix R . PATHS in Croatia: A school-based randomised-controlled trial of a social and emotional learning curriculum. Int J Psychol. 2016; 52(2):87-95. DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12262. View

Renwick L, Pedley R, Johnson I, Bell V, Lovell K, Bee P . Conceptualisations of positive mental health and wellbeing among children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Health Expect. 2021; 25(1):61-79. PMC: 8849250. DOI: 10.1111/hex.13407. View

Gustafsson B, Danielsson H, Granlund M, Gustafsson P, Proczkowska M . Hyperactivity precedes conduct problems in preschool children: a longitudinal study. BJPsych Open. 2018; 4(4):186-191. PMC: 6034435. DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2018.20. View

Javed M, Kundi M, Khan P . Emotional and behavioural problems among school children in Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 1992; 42(8):181-3. View

Belfer M . Child and adolescent mental disorders: the magnitude of the problem across the globe. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008; 49(3):226-36. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01855.x. View

Lopez-Serrano J, Diaz-Boveda R, Gonzalez-Vallespi L, Santamarina-Perez P, Bretones-Rodriguez A, Calvo R . Psychological impact during COVID-19 lockdown in children and adolescents with previous mental health disorders. Span J Psychiatry Ment Health. 2021; 16(1):32-41. PMC: 10068023. DOI: 10.1016/j.rpsm.2021.04.002. View

Erol N, Simsek Z, Oner O, Munir K . Behavioral and emotional problems among Turkish children at ages 2 to 3 years. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004; 44(1):80-7. PMC: 3124383. DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000145234.18056.82. View

Yang Y, Qi Y, Cui Y, Li B, Zhang Z, Zhou Y . Emotional and behavioral problems, social competence and risk factors in 6-16-year-old students in Beijing, China. PLoS One. 2019; 14(10):e0223970. PMC: 6812843. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223970. View

10.

Sun J, Singletary B, Jiang H, Justice L, Lin T, Purtell K . Child behavior problems during COVID-19: Associations with parent distress and child social-emotional skills. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2021; 78:101375. PMC: 8668344. DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101375. View

11.

Lopez A, Murray C . The global burden of disease, 1990-2020. Nat Med. 1998; 4(11):1241-3. DOI: 10.1038/3218. View

12.

Mushtaq A, Lochman J, Tariq P, Sabih F . Preliminary Effectiveness Study of Coping Power Program for Aggressive Children in Pakistan. Prev Sci. 2016; 18(7):762-771. DOI: 10.1007/s11121-016-0721-9. View

13.

Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J . Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018; 72(10):958-966. PMC: 6161651. DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-210436. View

14.

Rathod S, Pinninti N, Irfan M, Gorczynski P, Rathod P, Gega L . Mental Health Service Provision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Health Serv Insights. 2017; 10:1178632917694350. PMC: 5398308. DOI: 10.1177/1178632917694350. View

15.

Kessler R, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alonso J, Benjet C, Bromet E, Cardoso G . Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017; 8(sup5):1353383. PMC: 5632781. DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1353383. View

16.

Polanczyk G, Salum G, Sugaya L, Caye A, Rohde L . Annual research review: A meta-analysis of the worldwide prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015; 56(3):345-65. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12381. View

17.

Whitney D, Peterson M . US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and Disparities of Mental Health Care Use in Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2019; 173(4):389-391. PMC: 6450272. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399. View

18.

Christov-Moore L, Simpson E, Coude G, Grigaityte K, Iacoboni M, Ferrari P . Empathy: gender effects in brain and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014; 46 Pt 4:604-27. PMC: 5110041. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.001. View

19.

Werner-Seidler A, Spanos S, Calear A, Perry Y, Torok M, ODea B . School-based depression and anxiety prevention programs: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2021; 89:102079. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102079. View

20.

Malik T, Siddiqui S, Mahmood A . Behavioural and emotional problems among school children in Pakistan: A telephonic survey for prevalence and risk factors. J Paediatr Child Health. 2019; 55(12):1414-1423. DOI: 10.1111/jpc.14429. View