Prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems among six-years-old preschool children: baseline results of a prospective longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems and the scope of symptoms in preschool children. The results serve as baseline in a 4-year follow-up study.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 1887 preschool children who started primary level education within 6 months upon data collection. The sample represented the complete 1-year intake of all first year primary school children in a northern German town of 254,000 residents. The data were collected with standardized parent questionnaires.


RESULTS
The 6-month prevalence of behavioural and emotional symptoms was 12.4%. The overall score for internalizing symptoms (INT) was significantly higher than the score for externalizing symptoms (EXT). The disturbed children had the highest mean scores on the syndrome scale "Anxious or Depressed".


CONCLUSIONS
The level of psychopathology in preschool children was already as high as levels seen elsewhere in school children. The predominant role of INT was unexpected, particularly for boys. The attention of child mental health services need to focus on preschool children as on school children and on INT as much as on EXT, especially in boys.
Furniss
Tilman
T
Dep. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Schmeddingstrasse 50, 48149, Münster, Germany. furniss@uni-muenster.de
Beyer
Thomas
T
Guggenmos
Juergen
J
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires