Article

Pathways of behavioural and emotional symptoms in kindergarten children: what is the role of pro-social behaviour?

Jacobs Centre for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (impact factor: 2.82). 07/2007; 16(4):209-14. DOI:10.1007/s00787-006-0588-6 pp.209-14
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The study investigated the predictive value of pro-social behaviour for developmental pathways of behavioural and emotional problems at kindergarten age. One hundred and sixty children participated in the study at the ages of 5 and 6. Teachers and parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; children completed the Berkeley Puppet Interview at both assessment points. Single-informant data were aggregated to enhance the reliability and validity of data. Gender and parental educational status were controlled. Symptoms (conduct problems, hyperactivity and emotional symptoms) and pro-social behaviour were moderately stable over time. Compared to girls, boys showed higher levels and increases of conduct problems and hyperactivity and lower levels of pro-social behaviour. Lower parental educational level was associated with higher levels and increases in hyperactivity. Although pro-social behaviour was cross-sectionally associated with behavioural and emotional symptoms, pro-social behaviour did not predict changes in conduct problems or hyperactivity over time. However, children with above average emotional symptoms and above average pro-social behaviour at Age_5 showed the highest level of emotional symptoms at Age_6. The results indicate that low levels of pro-social behaviour are associated with children's externalising behaviour problems, but that for children with high levels of emotional symptoms, higher levels of pro-social behaviour should also be considered as a risk factor. In sum, our results suggest mainly homotypic pathways of internalising and externalising symptoms across kindergarten age, but indicate that the assessment of pro-social behaviour yields additional information regarding the developmental pathways of emotional symptoms.

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Keywords

assessment points
 
average emotional symptoms
 
average pro-social behaviour
 
behavioural
 
Berkeley Puppet Interview
 
children's externalising behaviour problems
 
conduct problems
 
developmental pathways
 
emotional problems
 
emotional symptoms
 
highest level
 
homotypic pathways
 
kindergarten age
 
low levels
 
Lower parental educational level
 
parental educational status
 
predictive value
 
pro-social behaviour
 
pro-social behaviour yields additional information
 
risk factor