A longitudinal study of emotional and behavioural problems among Malaysian school children with a nested evaluation of a parenting programme

• Main Author: Idris, Idayu B.
• Published: University of Warwick 2013
• Subjects: 610; LB Theory and practice of education
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.595757

Background: Emotional and behavioural problem in children and adolescence is an important public health issues. However, there is currently limited epidemiological evidence in terms of its prevalence or stability over time in Malaysia, and limited evidence about the role of parenting programmes in supporting parents and children experiencing such problems. Methods: This research comprises a longitudinal community-based study that measured the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems among school children aged seven to eight years and thirteen to fourteen years in Malaysia, and assessed their stability at six months. The study also consisted of an evaluation of a parenting programme known as the Khalifah method in which the parents of a group of children aged seven to eight years who had been screened in the prevalence study as having emotional and behavioural problems, were invited to take part in the programme. Parents, teachers and children aged 13 to 14 were assessed at baseline and 6 months time using the SDQ, which was also validated in the Malay Language, as part of the current study. Results: The prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in Malaysian school children was 9.3% for teacher-report, 8.5% for parent-report, and 3.9% for child-report. There was no significance difference in the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems over a six-month period, except for Teacher-report emotional (p=0.006) and conduct problems scores (p=0.000) as well as child-report Total Difficulties scores (p=0.000) and emotional problems scores (p=0.002). Four variables were significant predictors of EBD at time 2 – being male, younger, from a low-income family and having externalizing behaviour problems at time 1. Finally the results of the pilot evaluation of the effectiveness of a Parenting Programme suggests that it was effective in reducing behaviour problems among children whose parent’s received the intervention after 6 months (p=0.001), as well increasing parent’s mental well-being (p=0.000). Conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of EBD among Malaysian children is similar to western countries, and is stable over a 6-month period. It also provides preliminary evidence to suggest that a parenting programme is effective in reducing conduct problems among affected children.