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Título

APPLICATION OF PEDIATRIC SYMPTOMS CHECKLIST IN STUDENTS WITH ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT

Introdução

Validated instruments for screening of behavioral and emotional problems, although not being diagnostic tools, allow the survey of positive cases for various mental health problems of childhood and adolescence. Students with academic underachievement are more likely to present some psychosocial or emotional problem which corroborates the lack acquisition of knowledge. The objective of this research was carry out a screening to emotional and psichosocial problems in children with academic underachievement by application of Pediatric Symptoms Checklist (PSC).

Objetivo

Analysis of an cohort of children and adolescents, age ranging from 6 to 14 years old, in follow-up at the academic underachievement outpatient clinic of a University Hospital in West Paraná State. Analyzed variables were: PSC score, sex, age, grade and Body Mass Index and their correlation. To this research the cut off to PSC was ≥ 28, situation which children or adolescents should be referred ro specialist in mental health.

Métodos

It was included 117 chidren, of this, 80 (68,4%) were male and 37 (31,6%) female. Average age was 8,71 (±1,71). 85 (72,65%) presented negative PSC score and 32 (27,35%) were positive PSC score. The analysis of covariance showed that, in addition to age, positivity on the PSC scale was a direct and independent predictor of school grade (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively).

Resultados

It was included 117 chidren, of this, 80 (68,4%) were male and 37 (31,6%) female. Average age was 8,71 (±1,71). 85 (72,65%) presented negative PSC score and 32 (27,35%) were positive PSC score. The analysis of covariance showed that, in addition to age, positivity on the PSC scale was a direct and independent predictor of school grade (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusões

Sex, grade and BMI were not factor of risk to mental disorders in children and adolescents with academic underachievement in this study. Positivity on PSC scale showed as a factor of risk determinant and independent to academic underachievement. Mental disorders screening tool, as PSC questionnaire, can be useful to medical evaluation of this children and adolescents, which can to detect psychosocial and emotional problems and, so leading ro a evaluation by mental health professional (psychologist and/or psychiatrist).

Palavras chave

child, adolescent, underachievement, mental disorder, questionnaire

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