Parent-reported behavioural and emotional problems in Albanian Kosovar children.
OBJECTIVE
Because no epidemiological study has been conducted of children's mental health problems in Kosova, which experienced a traumatic war in 1998-99, we conducted the first national epidemiological survey of children's mental health ever undertaken in Kosova.


METHODS
Participants were 1374 Kosovar children ages 6-18 recruited through schools (60% from urban areas). Parent-reported behavioural and emotional problems were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/6-18). Kosovar findings were compared with findings from five other Central and Eastern European societies (Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Serbia and Croatia), plus the US.


RESULTS
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that the CBCL 8-syndrome model manifested good fit to the Kosovar data. Mean item ratings and Cronbach's alphas were very similar to those of the other six societies. Kosova's mean Total Problems score fell in the middle of the range of the seven societies compared. CBCL scores were higher for adolescents (12-18), urban children, and those whose parents had limited education compared with younger (6-11), rural, and more socially advantaged children.


CONCLUSIONS
Strong consistency was found between Kosovar findings and those for neighbouring countries with respect to CFA results, mean item ratings, alphas and problem score levels. Results of this epidemiological survey highlight the utility of the CBCL for identifying Kosovar Albanian children with mental health service needs.
University Clinical Center of Kosova,Pristina,Kosova.
M
M
Shahini
Bryn Mawr College,Bryn Mawr, PA,USA.
L A
LA
Rescorla
University Clinical Center of Kosova,Pristina,Kosova.
A Pronaj
AP
Ahmeti
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb,Croatia.
I
I
Begovac
Babes-Bolyai University,Cluj-Napoca,Romania.
A
A
Dobrean
Faculty of Medicine,University of Novi Sad,Serbia.
J
J
Markovıć
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb,Croatia.
V
V
Rudan
Medical University of Vienna,Austria.
J
J
Wancata
Medical University of Warsaw,Poland.
T
T
Wolanczyk
University Clinical Center of Kosova,Pristina,Kosova.
V
V
Zhjeqi
Mykolas Romeris University,Vilnius,Lithuania.
R
R
Zukauskiene
Central/Eastern Europe; Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL); Kosovo; epidemiology; mental health