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Hindi Research Article
Parental Perception of Emotional Problems in Children and Adolescents with Mixed Specific Developmental Disorder
Teresa Grimaldi Capitello1*, Alessia Puddu1, Simone Piga2, Marina Cuttini2, Simonetta Gentile1, and Luigia Milani11Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Clinic Psychology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
2Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- *Corresponding Author:
- Teresa Grimaldi Capitello
Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation
Clinic Psychology Unit Bambino Gesù Hospital
IRCCS,Piazza S. Onofrio, 4 00193, Rome, Italy
Tel: 0039 06 68592179
E-mail: teresa.grimaldi@opbg.net
Received Date: July 21, 2014; Accepted Date: September 03, 2014; Published Date: September 08, 2014
Citation: Grimaldi Capitello T, Puddu A, Piga S, Cuttini M, Gentile S et al. (2014) Parental Perception of Emotional Problems in Children and Adolescents with Mixed Specific Developmental Disorder . J Child Adolesc Behav 2:159. doi:10.4172/2375-4494.1000159
Copyright: © 2014 Teresa Grimaldi Capitello et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
This study examined the emotional and behavioral problems of children with Mixed Specific Developmental Disorders (MSDD) as reported by their parents (main caregiver). Forty-four children with MSDD (43% males and 57% females, mean age 10.55 yrs, SD 2.85) attending the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital health clinics and their parents participated in the study. They were compared with children affected by specific learning disabilities (SLD) (61 children: 56% males and 44% females, mean age 10.92 yrs, SD 2.59). Measurements included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and detailed cognitive and learning assessment. CBCL T scores indicated that 57% of the children with MSDD and 36% of those with SLD had an internalizing mental health problem (p <0.05), particularly as regard the withdrawn/depressed scale (61% MSDD versus 57% SLD, p<0.05), thought problems (59% versus 55%, p<0.01) and attention problems (64% versus 60%, p<0.05). Thus, MSDD children appeared to have a greater incidence of psychopathological traits than SLD children. In clinical settings, the assessment of learning disabilities in children with MSDD should include both cognitive and learning abilities, as well as psychological/mental health aspects.
