Biomedical subjects

H M Koot

Publications and source records attributed to H M Koot.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Predictors of psychopathology in young adults referred to mental health services in childhood or adolescence.

BACKGROUND: For children referred to mental health services future functioning may be hampered. AIMS: To examine stability and prediction of behavioural and emotional problems from childhood into adulthood. METHOD: A referred sample (n = 789) aged 4-18 years was followed up after a mean of 10.5 years. Scores derived from the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report and Teacher Report Form were related to equivalent scores for young adults from the Young Adult Self-Report and Young Adult Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: Correlations between first contact (T1) and follow-up (T2) scores were 0.12-0.53. Young adult psychopathology was predicted by corresponding T1 problem scores. Social problems and anxious/depressed scores were predictors of general problem behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Problem behaviour of children and adolescents referred to outpatient mental health services is highly predictive of similar problem behaviour at young adulthood. Stability is higher for externalizing than for internalizing behaviour and for intra-informant than for inter-informant information. Stabilities are similar across gender. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the young adult's functioning, information from related adults may prove valuable.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Common and specific correlates of preadolescent internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.

The specificity of various child characteristics and environmental correlates of childhood internalizing and externalizing problems was examined using both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (from ages 2-3 and 4-5 years) in a general population sample of 10-11-year-olds. Specificity was defined according to a between-subjects and a within-subjects method, using parent and teacher reports of psychopathology. Temperamental withdrawal, parental internalizing psychopathology, and early single parenthood (for girls) were identified as correlates that are specific for internalizing problems, whereas temperamental high general activity level was identified as externalizing-specific. Further, parenting stress, poor school results (only for boys), and stressful life events (only for girls) were found to be common correlates of psychopathology. Research implications regarding the findings and the use of a within-subjects method are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Long-term physical, psychological, and social functioning of children with esophageal atresia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Little is known about the long-term psychosocial functioning of children with esophageal atresia (EA). The physical, psychological, and social functioning of children with EA was studied using standardized assessment procedures, and relations between medical and social background variables and outcome were investigated. METHODS: Subjects were 36 children (20 boys, 16 girls; mean age 10.2 years) with EA. Fourteen children had minor and 11 children had major associated congenital anomalies. According to the "Montreal" classification, eight children with major congenital anomalies who also had been dependent on artificial ventilation as newborns fell into the high-risk class. The children were subjected to an intelligence test. Parents completed standardized questionnaires concerning emotional and behavioral problems, psychosocial stress, and family functioning; children completed questionnaires concerning depression and self-esteem; and teachers completed questionnaires concerning emotional and behavioral problems. Results were compared with normative data from the general population, and correlations between background and outcome variables were computed. RESULTS: According to Desjardins' classification, 16 children had excellent, nine children had good, and four children had fair outcome. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of the children was 90.2, which is almost 10 points lower than the standardized norm of 100 (P < .01). High-risk children (n = 7) had a significantly lower IQ (mean IQ, 79.4; P < .05). Five times as many children (n = 8; 22%) as in the general population (4%) required special education (P < .001). More than twice as many children (30% to 35%) as in the general population (15%) showed elevated rates of emotional and behavioral problems as reported by parents and teachers (P < .02). The children did not report more negative self-esteem or more depressive symptoms than children in the general population. Children with a lower IQ reported lower scholastic competence (r = .38, P < .05) and showed more emotional and behavioral problems as reported by teachers (r = -.43, P < .05). Family functioning and levels of psychosocial stress were the same as in the general population. Children in worse functioning families showed more emotional and behavioral problems as reported by parents (r = .37, P < .05) and higher depression scores as reported by themselves (r = .47, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: In a follow-up study using standardized assessment procedures, it was shown that children with EA have more learning, emotional, and behavioral problems than children in the general population. A high-risk group of children with major associated congenital anomalies who had been ventilated as a newborn, were at special risk for cognitive problems.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed1999

Predicting change in problem behavior from child and family characteristics and stress in referred children and adolescents.

A three-wave longitudinal study design with two 6-month intervals was used to examine the stability and change in Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problem behavior among children and adolescents referred to outpatient mental health services. Our results indicated high stabilities for parent ratings of child psychopathology across a 1-year interval. Additionally, we found decreases in the level of problem behavior. Interindividual differences in change were found for Total Problems and Externalizing behavior but not for Internalizing. While both the child's temperament and intelligence level and family relations were related to the initial level of parent-rated problem behavior, only intermediary stressful life events had an influence on the rate of change of child psychopathology.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Continuity of psychopathology in youths referred to mental health services.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the stability and predictive strength of behavioral and emotional problems in childhood and adolescence. METHOD: A referred sample (N = 1,652), aged 4 to 18 years at initial assessment, was followed up after a mean interval of 6.2 years. Problem scores derived from Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report, and Teacher's Report Form at initial assessment (T1) were related to scores on the same instruments at follow-up (T2). RESULTS: Correlations between T1 and corresponding T2 problem scores averaged 0.41 intrainformant (range 0.22-0.61) and 0.22 interinformant (range -0.09-0.57). Stabilities were similar across gender, and larger for Externalizing versus Internalizing scores, except on youths' self-reports. Psychopathology scores at follow-up were predicted by corresponding T1 scores. Girls were predicted to have higher T2 Somatic Complaints, Anxious/Depressed, Thought Problems, and Internalizing scores than boys. Children younger at intake were predicted to have higher scores than older children on T2 Social and Attention Problems. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate continuity of specific behavioral and emotional problems in clinically referred children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Potential uses for quality-of-life measures in childhood inflammatory bowel disease.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with inflammatory bowel disease is clearly reduced in the physical as well as in the psychological and social functioning domains. However, very few studies of these children have been performed from a quality-of-life perspective. Multicenter studies on HRQOL are needed to answer questions about the impact of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and their treatment and complications on HRQOL in children and adolescents and their association with outcome. This article describes perspectives from which quality of life studies may be performed, potential uses of HRQOL measures, and issues that should be accounted for in designing multicenter clinical studies on this topic.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Mental health and intellectual disability: an international perspective.

The present paper reports on the inaugural meeting of the Mental Health Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual disability which was held at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, UK, in March 1998. The meeting was organized in conjunction with the Ninth Annual SIRG on ageing and intellectual disability. Representatives from North America, several European and Scandinavian countries, Australia, and Israel attended. Two broad themes had been determined prior to the meeting: 'Improving the detection of mental health problems' and 'Research strategies for identifying risk factors for mental health problems'. In the presentations and subsequent discussions, it was apparent that there were extremely diverse perspectives both across and within the different countries represented. Not only were individuals' experiences very different, but most strikingly, the theoretical frameworks were very diverse. This was partly a function of there being understandable differences in perspectives across disciplines, but at its most marked, there were fundamental differences in the way both intellectual disability and mental health were conceptualized.

Humans↗

PubMed1998

Problem behaviors and personality of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Compare behavioral and emotional problems of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and clients consulting mental health centers (MHC) and related behavioral and emotional problems to the children's personality in the PWS group. METHODS: Participants were 39 children with PWS and 585 matched MHC clients. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) syndromes were related to the Big-Five personality factors measured with the California Child Q-sort (CCQ). RESULTS: Mean CBCL Total Problems scores were not different for the PWS and MHC groups, but differences were found for several of the CBCL subscales. Patterns of correlations among CBCL scales were similar in both groups, although coefficients were generally higher in the PWS group, indicating higher comorbidity or co-absence of CBCL syndromes in children and adolescents with PWS. Personality profiles were specific for internalizing and Externalizing problems of children and adolescents with PWS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

The relationship between mutual family relations and child psychopathology.

The associations of the mutual mother-child, father-child, and mother-father relationship and various patterns of family relations with child psychopathology were investigated in a sample of 137 families referred to outpatient mental health services. Assessment of the relative association of the different family dyads showed that both the mother-child and the mother-father relationship were related to child problem behaviour. However, whereas the mother-child relationship was consistently more related to externalising behaviour, the mother-father relationship was particularly related to internalising behaviour. Our findings gave clear support for the cumulative risk model: having more negatively qualified relationships was associated with more problem behaviour. Furthermore, our results suggested a protective influence of the parent-child relationship: having one or two positive parent-child relationships was associated with less problem behaviour. No support was found for the cross-generational coalition hypothesis. Implications for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Behavioral and emotional problems in young preschoolers: cross-cultural testing of the validity of the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3.

The cross-cultural validity of the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 2-3 (CBCL/2-3) was tested in three Dutch samples of children referred to mental health services, from the general population, and from a twin study. Six scales were derived from factor analyses and labeled Oppositional, Aggressive, and Overactive, which constituted a broadband Externalizing grouping; Withdrawn/Depressed and Anxious, which constituted a broadband Internalizing grouping; and Sleep Problems. Internal consistencies of the scales, their test-retest reliabilities, interparent agreement, discriminative power, predictive relations with problem ratings 2 years later, and relations to other instruments designed to measure general development and behavior problems were adequate, and highly comparable to psychometric properties in American samples. It was concluded that across languages and cultures behavioral/emotional problems of young preschoolers may be adequately assessed with the CBCL/2-3.

Chi-Square Distribution↗

PubMed1997

Headache intensity and quality of life in adolescents. How are changes in headache intensity in adolescents related to changes in experienced quality of life?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between changes in actual presence of headache and the experience of different subdomains of quality of life (QoL) in adolescents. DESIGN: Diary entered measurements of headache intensity and frequency were related to simultaneously recorded data on a QoL questionnaire for adolescents. SETTING: Subjects completed both the QoL questionnaires and the headache diaries at home. SUBJECTS: Subjects were selected by screening the total population of two secondary schools (N = 1566) for headache and migraine symptoms. Sixty-four students subject to chronic headache or migraine participated in the study. All subjects were diagnosed by a neurologist, following the IHS criteria for migraine. CONCLUSION: Changes in headache intensity and frequency were related to changes in self-reported QoL within all QoL subdomains. More headache coincided with a lower self-reported QoL.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Cross-cultural generalizability of the Youth Self-Report and Teacher's Report Form cross-informant syndromes.

Exploratory factor analyses on 569 Youth Self-Reports and 1,221 Teacher's Report Forms of clinically referred Dutch children revealed six and eight factors respectively, very similar to the eight YSR and TRF cross-informant syndromes derived by Achenbach (1991c, 1991d). Mean cross-cultural correlations were .89 for YSR syndromes and .95 for TRF syndromes. In confirmatory factor analyses of the Dutch and American YSR and TRF factor models in cross-validation samples of 570 YSRs and 1,221 TRFs, goodness-of-fit indices were only slightly better for Dutch factor models. The American cross-informant Social Problems and Attention Problems syndromes had the poorest fit. The application of the eight American cross-informant syndromes to Dutch self- and teacher reports was supported.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

A quality of life instrument for adolescents with chronic headache.

We developed a generic Quality of Life (QL) measurement scale for adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age, primarily for use on youngsters with chronic headaches or migraine. The Quality of Life Headache in Youth (QLH-Y) is a 71 item (69 multiple choice items and two visual analogue scales) QL measurement scale. It assesses an individual's QL in six QL subdomains. Study 1 (n = 223) was aimed at item selection and scale construction. Thirteen subscales were developed to cover the four QL subdomains Psychological Functioning, Functional Status, Physical Status and Social Functioning. The QL subdomains Satisfaction with Life in General and Satisfaction with Health were covered by two visual analogue scales. Internal consistency of nearly all the subscales was satisfactory. Study 2 (n = 159) was conducted to evaluate the validity and stability of the QLH-Y. Indications for parent-youth agreement, construct validity and sensitivity for headache and migraine were obtained. Stability coefficients were between 0.47 and 0.72 for the 1-week interval and between 0.31 and 0.60 for the 6-month interval. Nearly all of the QLH-Y subscales appeared to be more sensitive to differences between subjects with headaches and headache-free subjects, while the QL subdomain Functional Status was most sensitive for subjects who had suffered from a recent headache.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Late psychosocial consequences for parents of children who survived cancer.

Investigated late psychosocial sequelae in 133 parents of children who survived cancer, using questionnaires developed to measure the specific impact of the disease. Childhood cancer had distinct and persistent late psychosocial effects on parents of survivors. Uncertainty and loneliness were the most reported problems. Demographic and situational characteristics such as being a mother, low SES, no religious affiliation, chronic disease in a family member other than the child surviving cancer, and concurrent stresses increased the risk of reporting late problems. Treatment itself had little or no effect on reported problems. However, when treatment led to long-term sequelae in the child, a significant and specific effect on parental problems was observed. No decline of problems over time was found, which has implications for patient care.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

A twin-singleton comparison of problem behaviour in 2-3-year-olds.

Twin-singleton differences in problem behaviours in 2-3-year-olds were studied. Maternal ratings of children's problem behaviours were obtained with the CBCL/2-3. The twin sample consisted of 1363 twin pairs (456 MZ, 907 DZ), the sample of singletons consisted of 420 children from the general population. Results indicated that the general level of problem behaviours in twins was broadly comparable to that in singletons. Four of the seven syndromes showed lower scores for twins. These differences, however, were small and mainly caused by lower scores for DZ twins in comparison to MZ twins and singletons. Part of the difference could be attributed to the higher maternal age in the twin groups. Higher means for boys were found for the total problem score, and the Aggressive and Overactive syndromes.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Differential predictive value of parents' and teachers' reports of children's problem behaviors: a longitudinal study.

This study investigated the prediction of signs of disturbance in 946 children originally aged 4 to 11 years from the general population across a 6-year period. Parents' and teachers' ratings obtained via the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Teacher's Report Form (TRF) were tested as predictors of (a) academic problems, (b) school behavior problems, (c) receipt of mental health services, (d) child's need for professional help, (e) suicidal behavior, and (f) police contacts. Total problem scores in the deviant range on the CBCL or TRF were significantly associated with poor outcomes 6 years later. The combination of deviant scores on both the CBCL and TRF was a powerful predictor of poor outcomes with 56% of the girls, and 36% of the boys with total problem scores in the deviant range on both instruments maladjusted 6 years later. The CBCL syndromes Attention Problems and Delinquent Behavior, and the TRF syndromes Delinquent Behavior, Somatic Complaints, and Social Problems significantly predicted poor outcomes. Teachers' reports predicted poor outcomes equally well or even somewhat better than parents' reports. It is important to include teacher information in the diagnostic assessment of children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Behaviour problems of very low-birthweight children.

Parent and clinician reports of behaviour problems among very low-birthweight (VLBW) children at 3 1/2 years of age were studied in relation to indicators of neonatal cerebral damage, cognition and social factors. VLBW children had more depressed behaviour and more internalizing problems by parent report, and also scored significantly more often within the clinical range on total problem scores, than children in the comparison group. Neither neonatal cerebral ultrasound nor neurological examinations were directly associated with behavioural outcome. Cerebral damage was related to cognitive development. Cognition directly influenced behaviour problems according to clinician report, while the home environment did so according to parent report. The authors suggest that depressed behaviour of preschool VLBW children might be associated with parental reactions to the birth of a VLBW child, and that their attention problems might be linked indirectly to brain damage via cognitive impairments.

Brain↗

PubMed1992

Prediction of children's referral to mental health and special education services from earlier adjustment.

The 4-year stability in problem behaviors assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and their predictive validity with regard to poor outcome variables was studied in 1052 4-12-year old children from a general population sample. Irrespective of sex and age, the scores on the CBCL of some 44% of the children remained above the 90th percentile over the 4-year time interval. Externalizing problem behavior tended to show somewhat greater stability than internalizing problem behavior. High initial levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems, and persistence of problems were predictive of referral to mental health services. Referral to special education was higher for younger boys with high initial attention problems and school problems. Police contacts occurred more often in older boys with high initial aggression scores.

Child↗