Dysregulation profile defined by Child Behavior Checklist in a sample of preschool children

Abstract

Introduction: The dysregulation profile (DP) is a relevant clinical entity in the children and adolescent area since its association with future psychopathology. DP is defined by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), combining internalizing symptoms (anxiety/depression) and externalizing ones (aggressiveness, attention problems).

Objectives: To study the frequency of CBCL-DP in a sample of Chilean preschoolers.

Patients and Method: A sociodemographic survey and CBCL 1.5-5 was applied to caregivers of children aged 30 to 48 months in a national representative sample of public health system users. Frequency was estimated using the Kim et al. method and an explanatory model was made using binary logistic regression of DP using the child, caregiver, and contextual variables.

Results: The sample size was n = 1,429 preschool children and their caregivers. The frequency of DP was 11.6% (95% CI 9.9-13.5%). The variables that allow to classify DP in 88.6% of cases were: current depressive symptoms in the main caregiver (OR: 2.24; 95% CI 1.37-3.67); number of stressful events experienced by the main caregiver (p = 0.005); number of available elements for child development stimulation in the home (p = 0.001); number of chronic diseases of the child (p = 0.006).

Conclusions: DP has a high frequency in preschoolers, which implies a relevant mental health burden. This finding points to the need for interventions in this area and also longitudinal monitoring of this subgroup.