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Factors Associated with Parent–Child Discrepancies in Reports of Mental Health Disorders in Young Children

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Abstract

The study compares parent and child reports of child mental health to determine the relationship between parent–child disagreement and parental psychological and attitudinal factors, and to determine how parent–child disagreement is associated with the use of specialized services. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1268 children aged 6–11 years using the Dominic Interactive and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Psychological distress and negative parental attitudes were associated with greater reporting of mental health problems, leading to greater parent-child agreement on symptom presence, and to parental over-reporting of symptoms. Parent/child agreement was associated with 43.83% of contact with a mental health provider for externalizing and 33.73% for internalizing problems. The contribution of key parental psychological and attitudinal factors in parent–child disagreement on child mental health status may prove helpful in improving the identification of children in need of specialized services.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d’épidémiologie et de santé publique CHU Rennes, Rennes, France

    Emma Bajeux

  2. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    David H. Klemanski

  3. Laboratoire de Psychologie EA 4139, Institut Universitaire de France, Université de Bordeaux, 3 ter, place de la Victoire, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    Mathilde Husky

  4. Métis, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique (EHESP), Paris/ Rennes, France

    Emmanuelle Leray, Christophe Fermanian & Viviane Kovess-Masfety

  5. Agence Nationale de Santé Publique, Saint Maurice, France

    Christine Chan Chee

  6. Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Développement International, Paris, France

    Taraneh Shojaei

  7. Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cite, EA 4057, Paris, France

    Viviane Kovess-Masfety

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  1. Emma Bajeux
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  2. David H. Klemanski
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  4. Emmanuelle Leray
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  8. Viviane Kovess-Masfety
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Correspondence to Mathilde Husky.

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Bajeux, E., Klemanski, D., Husky, M. et al. Factors Associated with Parent–Child Discrepancies in Reports of Mental Health Disorders in Young Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 49, 1003–1010 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-018-0815-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-018-0815-7

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