Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The prevalence of SDQ-measured mental health problems at age 5–7 years and identification of predictors from birth to preschool age in a Danish birth cohort: The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence, distribution and predictors of mental health problems in 5–7-year-old Danish children in the general population. This study is a 5–7-year follow-up study of a birth cohort of 6,090 children, the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000. The extended version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was answered by parents and pre-school teachers. Data from Danish national registers included perinatal data, socioeconomic data and data on child mental illness diagnosed at hospital in preschool age. Register data from the first year of life was obtained from 99.7% of the children in the cohort. Of 5,898 eligible children, 3,501 participated in the SDQ assessment (59%). The overall estimated 6-month prevalence of mental health problems was 4.8% (95% CI 4.1–5.6). Conduct problems were found in 3.0% (95% CI 2.4–3.6), problems of hyperactivity/inattention in 0.7% (95% CI 0.4–1.0) and emotional problems in 1.5% (95% CI 1.1–1.9). Boys showed a higher risk of having mental health problems as compared to girls: risk ratio 2.0 (95% CI 1.5–2.8). Several markers of socioeconomic disadvantages were associated with mental health problems at 5–7 years of age. In conclusion, the 6-month prevalence of SDQ-measured mental health problems was relatively low in Danish children when compared with findings from several European countries, but was in line with findings from other studies in Nordic countries. The lower prevalence might reflect differences in psychosocial risk load and environmental stress given the social and cultural context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

SDQ:

Strengths and difficulties questionnaire

DAWBA:

Development and well-being assessment

OR:

Odds ratio

RR:

Risk ratio

CI:

Confidence intervals

P:

Parents

T:

Pre-school teachers

References

  1. Costello EJ, Egger H, Angold A (2005) 10-year research update review: the epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: I. methods and public health burden. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44:972–986

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry 62:593–602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Angold A, Egger HL (2007) Preschool psychopathology: lessons for the lifespan. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 48:961–966

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Anselmi L, Barros FC, Teodoro ML, Piccinini CA, Menezes AM, Araujo CL, Rohde LA (2008) Continuity of behavioral and emotional problems from pre-school years to pre-adolescence in a developing country. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 49:499–507

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Costello EJ, Mustillo S, Erkanli A, Keeler G, Angold A (2003) Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Arch Gen Psychiatry 60:837–844

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Costello EJ, Foley DL, Angold A (2006) 10-year research update review: the epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: II. developmental epidemiology. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45:8–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Achenbach TM, Becker A, Dopfner M, Heiervang E, Roessner V, Steinhausen HC, Rothenberger A (2008) Multicultural assessment of child and adolescent psychopathology with ASEBA and SDQ instruments: research findings, applications, and future directions. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 49:251–275

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Goodman R (1997) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:581–586

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Goodman R (1999) The extended version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:791–799

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Goodman R, Ford T, Simmons H, Gatward R, Meltzer H (2000) Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for child psychiatric disorders in a community sample. Br J Psychiatry 177:534–539

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Goodman R (2001) Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40:1337–1345

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bourdon KH, Goodman R, Rae DS, Simpson G, Koretz DS (2005) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: US normative data and psychometric properties. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44:557–564

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Heiervang E, Goodman A, Goodman R (2008) The Nordic advantage in child mental health: separating health differences from reporting style in a cross-cultural comparison of psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 49:678–685

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Meltzer H, Gatward R, Goodman R, Ford T (2000) Mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain. The Stationery Office, London

  15. Obel C, Heiervang E, Rodriguez A, Heyerdahl S, Smedje H, Sourander A, Guethmundsson OO, Clench-Aas J, Christensen E, Heian F, Mathiesen KS, Magnusson P, Njarethvik U, Koskelainen M, Ronning JA, Stormark KM, Olsen J (2004) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the Nordic countries. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 13(Suppl 2):II32–II39

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Heiervang E, Stormark KM, Lundervold AJ, Heimann M, Goodman R, Posserud MB, Ullebo AK, Plessen KJ, Bjelland I, Lie SA, Gillberg C (2007) Psychiatric disorders in Norwegian 8- to 10-year-olds: an epidemiological survey of prevalence, risk factors, and service use. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 46:438–447

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Skovgaard AM, Olsen EM, Houmann T, Christiansen E, Samberg V, Lichtenberg A, Jorgensen T (2005) The Copenhagen County child cohort: design of a longitudinal study of child mental health. Scand J Public Health 33:197–202

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. (2005) Youth in mind Goodman R. SDQ—information for researchers and professionals about the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. http://www.sdqinfo.com

  19. Goodman R, Renfrew D, Mullick M (2000) Predicting type of psychiatric disorder from Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores in child mental health clinics in London and Dhaka. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 9:129–134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Obel C, Dalsgaard S, Stax HP, Bilenberg N (2003) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Dan). A new instrument for psychopathologic screening of children aged 4–16 years. Ugeskr Laeger 165:462–465

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Rothman KJ, Greenland S (1998) Modern epidemiology, chapter 15., 2nd edn. Lippincott, New York,

    Google Scholar 

  22. Christensen E (2004) The first 7 years of life. The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Copenhagen

  23. Kaptein S, Jansen DE, Vogels AG, Reijneveld SA (2008) Mental health problems in children with intellectual disability: use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. J Intellect Disabil Res 52:125–131

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ravens-Sieberer U, Wille N, Erhart M, Bettge S, Wittchen HU, Rothenberger A, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Resch F, Holling H, Bullinger M, Barkmann C, Schulte-Markwort M, Dopfner M (2008) Prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents in Germany: results of the BELLA study within the National Health Interview and Examination Survey. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17(Suppl 1):22–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. ShojaeiT, Wazana A, Pitrou I, KovessV (2008) The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: validation study in French school-aged children and cross-cultural comparisons. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

  26. Petersen DJ, Bilenberg N, Hoerder K, Gillberg C (2006) The population prevalence of child psychiatric disorders in Danish 8- to 9-year-old children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 15:71–78

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Friedman RJ, Chase-Landsdale PL (2002) Chronic adversities. In: Rutter and Taylor (eds) Child and adolescent psychiatry. Oxford Blackwell Science, Oxford, pp 261–276

  28. World Health Organization (2009) Process of translation and adaptation of instruments. http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/research_tools/translation/en/index.html

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by The Copenhagen County Research Foundation (now called The Capital Region of Denmark), The Health Insurance Foundation, Mrs C. Hermansens Memorial Fund, The Foundation of Butcher Max Wørzner and wife, The Psychiatric Foundation of 1967, The Tryg Foundation, The Augustinus Foundation, The Danish Association for Mental Health. Robert Goodman is Director and part owner of Youth in Mind, which provides no-cost software and websites related to the SDQ.

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Glostrup, Nordre Ringvej 69, 2600, Glostrup, Capital Region, Denmark

    Hanne Elberling, Else Marie Olsen & Anne Mette Skovgaard

  2. Research Centre For Prevention and Health, Department 84/85, Copenhagen University Hospital Glostrup, Nordre Ringvej 69, 2600, Glostrup, Capital Region, Denmark

    Hanne Elberling & Allan Linneberg

  3. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Allan Linneberg & Anne Mette Skovgaard

  4. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Robert Goodman

Authors
  1. Hanne Elberling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Allan Linneberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Else Marie Olsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert Goodman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Anne Mette Skovgaard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hanne Elberling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Elberling, H., Linneberg, A., Olsen, E.M. et al. The prevalence of SDQ-measured mental health problems at age 5–7 years and identification of predictors from birth to preschool age in a Danish birth cohort: The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 19, 725–735 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-010-0110-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-010-0110-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation