title: Parents and teachers reporting on a child's emotional and behavioural problems following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI): the moderating effect of time.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gathering information from parents and teachers following paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) has substantial clinical value for diagnostic decisions. Yet, a multi-informant approach has rarely been addressed when evaluating children at the chronic stage post-injury. In the current study, the goals were to examine (1) differences between parents' and teachers' reports on a child's emotional and behavioural problems and (2) the effect of time elapsed since injury on each rater's report.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 42 parents and 42 teachers of children following severe TBI completed two standard rating scales. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine whether time elapsed since injury reliably distinguished children falling above and below clinical levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Emotional-behavioural scores of children following severe TBI fell within normal range, according to both teachers and parents. Significant differences were found between parents' reports relatively close to the time of injury and 2 years post-injury. However, no such differences were observed in teachers' ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents and teachers of children following severe TBI differ in their reports on a child's emotional and behavioural problems. The present study not only underscores the importance of multiple informants, but also highlights, for the first time, the possibility that informants' perceptions may vary across time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel and.
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Silberg
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tal-Jacobi
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levav
authors.forename: Amichai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brezner
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rassovsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Assessment; behaviour; caregiver; paediatric; traumatic brain injury