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Prevalence and Prediction of Disorders in Early Childhood: A Community Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Janet H. Roth ,
Mark R. Dadds ,
John McAloon ,
Adam Guastella  and
Carl F. Weems
Janet H. Roth
Affiliation:
Griffith University, Australia.
Mark R. Dadds*
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Australia.
John McAloon
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Australia.
Adam Guastella
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Australia.
Carl F. Weems
Affiliation:
University of New Orelans, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: Mark R. Dadds, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. E-mail: m.dadds@unsw.edu.au
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Abstract

This article examines the prevalence and prediction of internalising and externalising disorders from temperament and parenting in children aged 4 to 6 years (N = 491). Children were assessed via parent and teacher reports over 14 months and clinical interviews with parents were included at follow-up, along with parent and teacher reports of behavioural and emotional difficulties. Prevalence rates for internalising disorders (8.7%) were higher than for externalising disorders (5.8%), and internalising rates were similar to that found for older children in the same city. Accuracy of prediction of disorders, as well as overall behavioural and emotional difficulties, was low to moderate, and externalising problems were better predicted than internalising problems. The results highlight that while psychological disorders can be predicted from measures of temperament in infancy, the accuracy is too low to recommend these children receive selective prevention and treatment programs.

Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , 01 December 2004 , pp. 215 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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