European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume 14, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 145-152

Psychosocial problems among immigrant and non-immigrant children: Ethnicity plays a role in their occurrence and identification (Article)

Reijneveld S.A.* , Harland P. , Brugman E. , Verhulst F.C. , Verloove-Vanhorick S.P.
  • a University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Department of Health Sciences, P. O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, Netherlands, TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research) Prevention and Health, P. O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, Netherlands
  • b TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research) Prevention and Health, P. O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, Netherlands, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), P. O. Box 792, 2300 AT Leiden, Netherlands
  • c TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research) Prevention and Health, P. O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, Netherlands
  • d Erasmus University Rotterdam, Academic Hospital Rotterdam-Sophia, P. O. Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • e TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research) Prevention and Health, P. O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, Netherlands, Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, P. O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands

Abstract

Background This study aims to examine a) the prevalence of psychosocial problems and b) the association between parent-reported problems and the identification by doctors and nurses (child health professionals, CHP) working in preventive child health care, among immigrant and non-immigrant children. Methods CHPs examined 4,098 children aged 5 through 15 years (response: 90.1%) and interviewed parents and children during their routine health assessments in 19 Child Healthcare Services across the Netherlands, serving nearly all school-aged children routinely. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was completed by the parents. We compared five ethnic groups: indigenous Dutch, economic immigrants, immigrants from (former) Dutch colonies, from other non-industrialised, and from other industrialised countries. Results The prevalence of parent-reported problems on the CBCL is higher among children from former Dutch colonies and economic immigrant children than among indigenous children, especially regarding internalising problems (odds ratios (OR); 95% confidence interval: 1.84; 1.03 to 3.29, and 2.52; 1.46 to 4.34). CHPs identified more problems among economic immigrant children (OR: 1.62; 1.01 to 2.60). Regarding associations, rates of CHP-identified problems were higher among indigenous children with clinical compared with normal CBCL Total Problems scores (OR: 6.90; 5.27 to 9.03), but not among economic immigrant children (OR: 0.73; 0.16 to 3.21). Conclusions Psychosocial problems occur more frequently among some immigrant groups. CHP identification of psychosocial problems is poorly associated with parent report regarding economic immigrant children. This needs to be improved in order to provide better care. © Steinkopff Verlag 2005.

Author Keywords

Preventive child health care Early identification Children Mental health Ethnicity

Index Keywords

information processing Netherlands immigrant social psychology indigenous people Preventive Health Services mental health human immigration risk assessment industrialization Ethnic Groups economic aspect health service controlled study psychosocial disorder ethnology interview Confidence interval Humans psychology Adolescent parent male female Behavior prevalence scoring system Article health care major clinical study physician child health care preventive medicine Child Health Services Emigration and Immigration child parent relation health practitioner social behavior Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-21544435700&doi=10.1007%2fs00787-005-0454-y&partnerID=40&md5=6060a62502f5872518c0f567fcc3aef6
DOI: 10.1007/s00787-005-0454-y
ISSN: 10188827
Cited by: 53
Original Language: English