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European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

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01-12-2008 | ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION

Assessing psychopathological problems of children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years in a nationwide representative sample: results of the German health interview and examination survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS)

Authors: Heike Hölling, Bärbel-Maria Kurth, Aribert Rothenberger, Andreas Becker, Robert Schlack

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Special Issue 1/2008

Abstract

Background

Reliable information on the prevalence of mental health problems in children and adolescents in the general population in Germany is scarce. With the German health and examination survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS) data is available for the first time on psychopathological problems for the complete age range from 3 to 17 years.

Objectives

To estimate prevalence rates for several groups with broadly defined psychopathology and to report distributions of psychopathological problems for total and fine-grained subgroups according to age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), migration of children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years.

Methods

The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) parent version was completed for 14,478 children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years. Data was collected from May 2003 to May 2006 from 167 representative sample points all over Germany. Prevalence rates of SDQ scales were calculated. Effects of age, gender, socio-economic status and migration status were determined.

Results

A total of 18.5% of the boys and girls were classified as ‘borderline or abnormal’ in the total difficulties score and thus determined as risk group for public health policies. Analyses of Variance showed significant effects for age and gender, SES and migration status. Significant interactions between age and gender were found for the total difficulties, conduct problems, hyperactivity-inattention and the emotional symptoms scores; significant interaction between SES and migration status was found for the prosocial behaviour score.

Conclusions

Prevalence rates of psychopathological problems in children and adolescents are in line with other published findings. Younger age, lower SES and migration are related to more psychopathological problems. While girls display more emotional problems, boys have more externalizing problems.

AUC area under the curve. Combined value of sensitivity (percentage of correctly identified cases) and specificity (percentage of correctly defined non-cases). An AUC of 0.5 indicates a discrimination by chance, an AUC of 1.00 indicates a perfect fit of scale score and clinical diagnosis.

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Title: Assessing psychopathological problems of children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years in a nationwide representative sample: results of the German health interview and examination survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS)
Authors: Heike Hölling
Bärbel-Maria Kurth
Aribert Rothenberger
Andreas Becker
Robert Schlack
Publication date: 01-12-2008
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue Special Issue 1/2008
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-1004-1

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Assessing psychopathological problems of children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years in a nationwide representative sample: results of the German health interview and examination survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS)

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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