German Version of the Brief Problem Monitor for Parents, Teachers and Adolescents

Background: The Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) is a short version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and its derived questionnaires and has already been psychometrically tested and approved in its English original version. The German translation likewise comprises three subscales (Internalizing-INT, Attention Problems-ATT, and Externalizing-EXT) and is available for multiple informants (parent, teacher, and youth report). Method: The psychometric characteristics (reliability and validity) of the German translation were examined by means of clinical as well as population-based samples of children aged 6-18 years. Results: The results indicate good reliability and, with some constraints, good validity. Conclusion: The German translation of the BPM can be judged as a reliable and valid instrument

How Beautiful Must I be? - Physical Attractiveness and Mental Health in Adolescents

Physical attractiveness is a high priority for young people. The beauty ideals and presentations spread in the media often reinforce self-doubt and self-insecurity. In 730 adolescents (age 13 to 20 years) it was measured, how they experience appearance-related social pressure (FASD), the extent to which physical deficits are perceived (BDDQ), and how these features are related to mental symptoms (SDQ). The results demonstrate that young people are very concerned about their appearance (30.7 %) and are overly concerned with perceived physical defects (29.5 %). In addition, there is a strong appearance-related social pressure through peers and parents. The young people particularly affected in these areas report more emotional and behavioral problems. The results suggest that attention should be given to physical self-assessment as an important factor in diagnosis and therapy

Psychometric evaluation of a parent-rating and self-rating inventory for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: German OCD Inventory for Children and Adolescents (OCD-CA)

BackgroundThis study assesses the psychometric properties of the German version of the Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision for measuring pediatric OCD.MethodsThe parent-rating and self-rating inventory is assessed in a clinical sample (CLIN: n=342, age range=6-18years) comprising an OCD subsample (OCDS: n=181) and a non-OCD clinical subsample (non-OCD: n=161), and in a community sample (COS: n=367, age range=11-18years).ResultsAn exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution: (1) Contamination & Washing, (2) Catastrophes & Injuries, (3) Checking, and (4) Ordering & Repeating. Internal consistencies of the respective scales were acceptable to excellent across all samples, with the exception of the self-report subscale Ordering and Repeating in the community sample. The subscales correlated highly with the total score. Intercorrelations between the subscales were mainly r.70, indicating that the subscales were sufficiently independent of each other. Convergent and divergent validity was supported. Participants in the OCD subsample scored significantly higher than those in the non-OCD clinical subsample and the COS on all scales. In the COS, self-rating scores were significantly higher than parent-rating scores on all scales, while significant mean differences between informants were only found on two subscales in the OCD subsample.ConclusionThe German version of the Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision for measuring pediatric OCD is a promising, valid and reliable instrument to assess self-rated and parent-rated pediatric OCD symptoms in clinical and non-clinical (community) populations

Effectiveness of the Prevention Program for Externalizing Problem Behavior (PEP) in Preschoolers with Severe and No or Mild ADHD Symptoms

Objective: The prevention program for externalizing problem behavior (PEP), developed for parents and teachers of preschool children, showed the effectiveness of both modules (PEP-PA and PEP-TE) under routine care conditions in two separate studies. This secondary analysis examined the effects of both modules on preschool children with severe attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms compared with children with no or mild ADHD symptoms. Methods: In the within-subject control group, design changes in child symptoms and problem behavior in specific situations at home and school during the waiting period were compared with changes during the intervention period (3 months each). Results: For children with severe ADHD, parent training reduced specific problem situations at home (HSQ-D[please provide full name here]), and teacher training showed significant effects on oppositional-aggressive behavior as well as the total problem score of the Caregiver Teacher Report Form (C-TRF). Children with no or mild ADHD benefited from parent training on the HSQ-D score, oppositional-aggressive behavior and the total problem score of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), while teacher training had significant effects on all outcomes assessed. Conclusion: Our results suggest that parent training reduces mainly specific behavior problems at home in children with severe ADHD symptoms and with no/mild ADHD symptoms, while teacher training reduces ADHD symptoms and ODD[please provide full name here] symptoms including specific behavior problems in the kindergarten in children with no/mild ADHD symptoms. However, in children with severe ADHD only overall problems and ODD symptoms were significantly reduced by teacher training

Leisure activities, resilience and mental stress in adolescents

Objective: To date, the factors contributing to emergence of resilience in different stages of adolescence have yet to be sufficiently examined.This study looks at the influence of extracurricular activities on resilience. Method: The sample consists of 413 adolescents (f = 14.8) reporting personal problems (mood, concentration problems, behavior). The effect of extracurricular activities on resilience (gathered by the RS25) was analyzed by linear regression models. Predictor variables in these models were extracurricular activities (sport, hobbies, club memberships, household duties) and the subscales of the SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Because of the lack of homoscedasticity, two different regression models (model A: Realschule and Grammar School. Model B: Hauptschule) were specified. Results: The explained variance of both models (model A: R = .516; model B: R = .643) is satisfactory. In both models prosocial behavior (SDQ) turns out to be a significant positive predictor for resilience (model A:beta = 2.815; model B;beta = 3.577) and emotional symptoms (model A:beta = -1.697; model B:beta = -2.596) are significant negative predictors for resilience. In addition, model A presents significant positive influences of sport (beta = 16,314) and significant negative influences of hyperactivity (SDQ). In contrast, in model B club memberships (beta = 15.775) and peer relationship problems (beta = 1.508) are additional positive predictors. Conclusions: The results of the study demonstrate the important role of prosocial behavior and emotional competence in the manifestation of resilience. The effect of extracurricular activities proves to depend on the social environment (type of school). Thus, these results could form the basis for further more specific developmental programs

The prevention program for externalizing problem behavior (PEP) improves child behavior by reducing negative parenting: analysis of mediating processes in a randomized controlled trial

Background Our indicated Prevention program for preschool children with Externalizing Problem behavior (PEP) demonstrated improved parenting and child problem behavior in a randomized controlled efficacy trial and in a study with an effectiveness design. The aim of the present analysis of data from the randomized controlled trial was to identify the mediating processes that account for these positive treatment effects. We hypothesized that a decrease in negative parenting and increases in positive parenting and parental warmth would mediate the relationship between treatment and child improvement. Method Parents of 155 children were randomly assigned to the PEP intervention group (n=91) or a nontreated control group (n=64). Parents rated their child's problem behavior and their own parenting practices before and after PEP training. Parental warmth was assessed during standardized play situations. Four mediation models were tested using structural equation modeling. Trial registration number ISRCTN12686222; . Results Changes in child externalizing problem behavior were most strongly mediated by reductions of negative parenting in difficult parenting situations. Increases in positive parenting also served as a mediator. Changes in parental warmth, parents' feeling of self-efficacy, and parental mental health did not play a mediating role in the association between PEP treatment and child behavior. Conclusions In our program, the most important component was to teach parents how to reduce dysfunctional parenting strategies in conflict situations

Covariation, co-occurrence and epiphenomenal correlation of empirically based syndromes in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: This paper determines the co-occurrence and correlations of different problem behaviours in children and adolescents in German clinical and general population samples. SAMPLING AND METHODS: The 2 samples were matched by age and gender (each sample n = 1,760). Including both categorical and dimensional models, rates of co-occurrence, relative risks, odds ratios and Pearson correlations were calculated. Results: The bidirectional comorbidity rates ranged from 7.3 to 34.3% (epidemiological sample) and from 22.5 to 54.8% (clinical sample). Most correlations between syndrome scales show medium or large effects. Many can be identified as 'epiphenomenal'; partial correlations from each pair, excluding influences of other syndromes, are much lower. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the cross-cultural generalizability of comorbidity rates. The epiphenomenal nature of some comorbidities warrants future attention

The German version of the Parent Problem Checklist: reliability and validity

Kroeger C, Hahlweg K, Heinrichs N, Doepfner M, Plueck J. Erziehungskonfliktskala (EKS): Reliabilität und Validität. Diagnostica. 2009;55(4):201-210.This study examines the reliability and validity of the German version of the Parent Problem Checklist, PPC (German title: Erziehungskonfliktskala, EKS). The 16-item EKS measures interparental conflict, especially due to lacking cooperation between parents. Thus, the EKS rates parents' ability to cooperate and to support one another's parenting efforts (coparenting). Factor structure, reliability, and validity were investigated using a sample of 437 two-parent families participating in a study to evaluate the efficacy of preventive parenting programmes. The one-factor structure of the PPC was replicated; the internal consistency was high (alpha=.89). The construct validity was established by yielding significant correlations with other, conceptually related questionnaires (dyadic relationship quality, parent's psychological distress, parenting skills and children's competencies and behaviour problems). Moreover the EKS discriminates between parents of children with disruptive behaviour and parents of children with no behaviour problems. The EKS is a short, reliable, and valid scale that assesses important facets of the coparenting relationship

Experiences in Disseminating Evidence-Based Prevention Programs in a Real-World Setting

The primary aim of family-based prevention programs is to promote children's health. Unfortunately, it is difficult to reach families with such evidence-based prevention programs (EBP). Therefore, implementing EBP on a population level could be a promising approach to reach more families, including those faced with socioeconomic challenges who are usually less likely to participate in randomized controlled trials (RCT). Is a population rollout appropriate to reach more and different families than those participating in RCT, especially those representative of the target population? We implemented three EBP in a city in an uncontrolled trial. The effects of this population rollout were tracked on the level of the participating families and on the level of all families living in the city. More than 3480 families (30 % of the population) with children up to 12 years of age participated based on practitioner report. Analyses indicate that a greater percentage of low socioeconomic-status families attended a program compared with a randomly surveyed sample from the city's general population. The sizes of the within-subject effect for parental strategies, child behavior problems, and children's quality of life for a subsample of n = 411 families were similar to those of other uncontrolled EBP studies. The study contributes to highly needed type 2 translation research. The population-based dissemination of EBP could be a promising approach to reach families at risk. However, there are considerable barriers to the implementation process, which currently limit the effectiveness of this rollout in a community