Life events as predictors of children’s behavioral/emotional problems.

• Main Author: Lim, Si Huan.
• Other Authors: Ang Pei-Hui, Rebecca
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Applied psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15694
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study examined the contribution of life events to children’s behavioral/emotional problems. One thousand and nine clinical cases from the Child Guidance Clinic were sampled. Age, gender, and 11 life events were coded. Children’s ages ranged from 4 to 18 years. Children’s behavioral/emotional problems were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4 – 18 (CBCL), which yielded CBCL T-scores for internalizing, externalizing, and total problems. Exploratory factor analysis yielded five categories of life events as independent variables. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that controlling for age and gender, life events accounted for total behavioral/emotional problems. When age and gender were controlled for, internalizing behavioral problems were accounted for by a greater number of life events.