Prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and their relation to adjustment among Chinese-American youth.
OBJECTIVE
The primary purpose of this investigation is to assess psychiatric symptoms of Chinese-American children using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and to determine the impact of acculturation on these symptoms.


METHODS
One hundred eighty-one forms of a Chinese CBCL and a 10-item questionnaire on adjustment and ethnic patterns of socialization were completed by a parent or guardian of Chinese-American children attending a Chinese school in New York City.


RESULTS
The sample's total problem, internalizing, externalizing, total competence, activities, and social scores were significantly lower than Achenbach's American norms by age and sex. Favorable adjustment was correlated significantly with lower total problem and internalizing scores. Recent immigrants did not have higher symptom scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Lower scores of the Chinese-American children may be due to temperamental differences, underreporting by the respondent, or cultural intolerance of misbehavior.
Chang
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Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11042.
Morrissey
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RF
Koplewicz
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HS
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology