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Behavioural and emotional symptoms in 8–9-year-old children

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Abstract

We present epidemiological data from a multi-centre study on psychiatric symptoms among 6017 8–9-year-old children representing a total annual birth cohort (N=60007) in Finland. The results are based on three questionnaires: the Rutter Parent Scale (RA2), the Rutter Teacher Scale (RB2), the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). The proportion of children that scored above the cutoff points, indicating probable psychiatric disturbance, were 11.2% for the RA2, 13.9% for the RB2 and 6.9% for the CDI. Twenty-four percent of the subjects scored above the cutoff point on at least one of the questionnaires. Low family social status and disrupted family relations correlated strongly with high rates of symptoms in the children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Lastenlinnantie 2, FIN-00250, Helsinki, Finland

    F. Almqvist, E. Huikko, E. Tuompo-Johansson & E. Aronen

  2. Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    K. Ikäheimo & J. Piha

  3. Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    K. Kumpulainen, I. Henttonen & E. Räsänen

  4. Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    S. L. Linna & I. Moilanen

  5. Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    K. Puura & T. Tamminen

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  1. F. Almqvist
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  2. K. Kumpulainen
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  3. K. Ikäheimo
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  6. E. Huikko
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  9. K. Puura
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Correspondence to F. Almqvist.

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Almqvist, F., Kumpulainen, K., Ikäheimo, K. et al. Behavioural and emotional symptoms in 8–9-year-old children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 8 (Suppl 4), S7–S16 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00010698

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