Relation Between Maternal Characteristics and Child Behavior Ratings: implications for Interpreting Behavior Checklists

The present study examined the extent to which mothers' ratings of their psychological distress, marital adjustment, and negative life events were related to maternal ratings of child behavior problems. Data were collected from mothers of 110 children (ages 2 to 12 years) who were referred to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical pediatrics 1992-08, Vol.31 (8), p.461-466
Main Authors: Sanger, Maureen S., MacLean, William E., Van Slyke, Deborah A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis
Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology
Child Behavior Disorders - etiology
Child, Preschool
Employment - psychology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hospitals, University
Humans
Internal-External Control
Life Change Events
Marriage - psychology
Mass Screening
Models, Psychological
Mothers - psychology
Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
Pediatrics - methods
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Risk Factors
Social psychology
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress, Psychological - complications
Stress, Psychological - diagnosis
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires - standards
Tennessee - epidemiology
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Summary:The present study examined the extent to which mothers' ratings of their psychological distress, marital adjustment, and negative life events were related to maternal ratings of child behavior problems. Data were collected from mothers of 110 children (ages 2 to 12 years) who were referred to a pediatric clinic for a variety of common behavioral concerns. Maternal psychological distress and marital adjustment were significantly correlated with mothers' ratings on a child behavior checklist. Maternal psychological distress also accounted for a significant amount of the variance in maternal child behavior ratings over and above that accounted for by fathers' ratings of the same behaviors. Given that maternal characteristics co-vary significantly with reports of child behavior problems, pediatricians should interpret findings derived from child behavior rating scales within the overall family context.
ISSN:0009-9228
1938-2707
DOI:10.1177/000992289203100803