Self-reported fears and mental health in elementary school children across Europe.

Fears are common in the general population and particularly among children. The number of fear subtypes (animals, natural environment, situational, blood-injection-injury or other type) has been shown to be associated with psychopathology. Furthermore, there is evidence suggesting that some subtypes may be more often associated with mental disorders than others. The present study uses data from a large cross sectional survey, the School Children Mental Health in Europe (SCMHE) study, conducted in eight European countries on children ages 6 through 13-years-old attending elementary school (n = 9613). Fear subtypes and self-reported mental health were assessed using the Dominic Interactive (DI), a self-administered computerized image-based questionnaire. The findings show that the number of fear subtypes is strongly associated with self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems. In addition, adjusting for the number of subtypes, fear of animals was less likely than other fears to be associated with psychopathology. The findings support the notion that children who report excessive and generalized fear should be targeted for prevention, consistent with research identifying childhood onset generalized specific phobia as a probable precursor to subsequent psychopathology.

Self-reported mental health in children ages 6-12 years across eight European countries.

Worldwide, approximately one in eight children or adolescents suffers from a mental disorder. The present study was designed to determine the self-reported prevalence of mental health problems in children aged 6-11 years across eight European countries including Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Data were drawn from 6245 children participating in the School Children Mental Health in Europe (SCHME) study and a large cross-sectional survey in France. Self-reported child mental health was assessed using the Dominique Interactive (DI). Overall, 22.0% of children were identified per their own evaluation as having at least one mental disorder, ranging from 16.4% in the Netherlands to 27.9% in Bulgaria. The prevalence of internalizing disorders was 18.4% across countries and ranged from 11.8% in the Netherlands to 24.3% in Turkey. The prevalence of externalizing disorders was lower with an average of 7.8%, ranging from 3.5% in Turkey to 10.5% in Bulgaria. Combining samples across European countries, 1 in 5 children reported internalizing problems and 1 in 12 children externalizing problems. The net completion rates of 4.1-74.3% preclude conclusions about national differences in prevalence rates.

Factors Associated with Parent-Child Discrepancies in Reports of Mental Health Disorders in Young Children.

The study compares parent and child reports of child mental health to determine the relationship between parent-child disagreement and parental psychological and attitudinal factors, and to determine how parent-child disagreement is associated with the use of specialized services. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1268 children aged 6-11 years using the Dominic Interactive and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Psychological distress and negative parental attitudes were associated with greater reporting of mental health problems, leading to greater parent-child agreement on symptom presence, and to parental over-reporting of symptoms. Parent/child agreement was associated with 43.83% of contact with a mental health provider for externalizing and 33.73% for internalizing problems. The contribution of key parental psychological and attitudinal factors in parent-child disagreement on child mental health status may prove helpful in improving the identification of children in need of specialized services.

Differential impact of parental region of birth on negative parenting behavior and its effects on child mental health: Results from a large sample of 6 to 11 year old school children in France.

BACKGROUND: In France, one in 10 residents has immigrated mainly from North Africa, West Africa or the Caribbean including the French West Indies. However little is known about how parents from these regions behave when they migrate to countries that have different cultural norms. It is therefore important to determine how ethno-cultural background affects parental behavior and subsequent child mental health in the context of immigration. The objectives are: 1) to compare negative parenting behaviors of French residents from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds 2) to examine the relationship between parental region of origin and child mental health, and 3) to investigate the extent to which ethno-cultural context moderates the effect of parenting styles on child mental health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2005 in 100 schools in South-East France. The Dominic Interactive and the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to assess child psychopathology. The Parent Behavior and Attitude Questionnaire was used to assess parenting styles. The final sample included data on 1,106 mother and child dyads. RESULTS: Caring and punitive attitudes were significantly different across mothers as a function of region of origin. This association was stronger for punitive attitudes with the highest prevalence in the Caribbean/African group, while mothers from Maghreb were more similar to French natives. Differences in caring behaviors were similar though less pronounced. Among children of Maghrebian descent, punitive parenting was associated with an increased risk of internalizing disorders while this association was weaker among children of African and Afro-Caribbean descent. CONCLUSIONS: Parental region of origin is an important component of both parenting styles and their effect on child mental health. Interventions on parenting should consider both the region of origin and the differential impact of origin on the effect of parenting styles, thus allowing for a finer-grained focus on high-risk groups.

Utility of self-reported mental health measures for preventing unintentional injury: results from a cross-sectional study among French schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Identify children at-risk of having mental health problems is of value to prevent injury. But the limited agreement between informants might jeopardize prevention initiatives. The aims of the present study were 1) to test the concordance between parents and children reports, and 2) to investigate their relationships with parental reports of children' unintentional injuries. METHODS: In a population-based sample of 1258 children aged 6 to 11, the associations between child psychopathology (using the Dominic Interactive and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and unintentional injuries in the past 12 months were examined in univariate and multivariate models. RESULTS: As compared to children, parents tended to overestimate behavior problems and hyperactivity/inattention, and underestimate emotional symptoms. Unintentional injury in the last 12-month period was reported in 184 out of 1258 children (14.6%) and multivariate analyses showed that the risk of injury was twice as high in children self-reporting hyperactivity/inattention as compared to others. However this association was not retrieved with the parent-reported instrument. CONCLUSION: Our findings support evidence that child-reported measures of psychopathology might provide relevant information for screening and injury prevention purposes, even at a young age. It could be used routinely in combination with others validated tools.

Home emergency response team for the seriously ill palliative care patient: feasibility and effectiveness.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise trajectories associated with a new team organisation combining critical care and palliative care approaches at home. METHODS: We describe the pattern of an emergency response team 24/7 directed to patients with advanced illness presenting a distressing symptom at home, who wanted to stay at home and for whom hospitalisation was considered inappropriate by a shared medical decision-making process in an emergency situation. To assess preliminary impact of this Programme, we conducted a descriptive study on all consecutive patients receiving this intervention during the first year (between 6 September 2021 and 5 September 2022). RESULTS: Among the 352 patients included, main advanced illnesses were cancer (41%), dementia (28%) or chronic organ failure (10%). They were critically ill with acute failures: respiratory (52%), neurological (48%) or circulatory (20%). Main distressing symptoms were breathlessness (43%) and pain (17%). Median response time from call to home-visit (IQR) was 140 (90-265) min. Median length of follow-up (IQR) was 4 (2-7) days. Main outcomes were death at home (72%), improvement (19%) or hospitalisation (9%) including three visits to emergency department (1%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports that shared decision-making process and urgent care at home are feasible and might prevent undesired hospitalisations.

The associations between headaches and psychopathology: a survey in school children.

BACKGROUND: Headaches are common in childhood and significantly impact children's quality of life. On the contrary to the adolescent and adult population, there are few data on the associations between headaches and psychopathology in young children. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between child headaches, emotional and behavioral difficulties in children aged 6-11 years old. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2004 in 100 primary schools from a large French region, with 2341 children aged 6-11 years old randomly selected. Child headache status, comorbid physical conditions, and socioeconomic characteristics were collected in parent-administered questionnaires. Child psychopathology outcomes were assessed using child- and parent-reported standardized instruments: respectively, the Dominic Interactive and the Strengths and the Difficulties Questionnaire. Associations were estimated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Response rates to the parent questionnaire and the Dominic Interactive were 57.4% and 95.1%, respectively. The final sample size was 1308 children. Eleven percent of the children already experienced frequent headaches in their lifetime, with no difference by age or gender. Headaches were associated with parent-reported emotional problems (OR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.03-3.01) and self-reported general anxiety disorder (OR=1.99; 1.13-3.52). Comorbid physical conditions ≥2 appeared as an independent factor significantly associated with headaches (OR =1.75; 95% CI: 1.13-2.73). Inversely, low parental punitive behaviors were less frequently associated with headaches (OR=0.41; 95% CI: 0.18-0.94). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest some associations between headaches, emotional disorders, and comorbid physical conditions in young children aged 6-11 years old. Those results should be considered in the treatment approaches of childhood headaches and from the etiological aspect.

Psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive in a large French sample.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive (DI) in school-aged children in a different cultural environment than Quebec. METHODS: In a large French region, 100 schools and 25 children (aged 6 to 11 years) per school were randomly selected. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires to children (DI), parents (sociodemographic characteristics, mental health services use), and teachers (child school achievement). DI psychometric properties were assessed by examining: the distribution of each DI diagnosis; comorbidity between diagnoses; alpha coefficients measuring internal consistency; and correlates of psychopathologies with sociodemographic status and health care services use. Estimates of DI properties were compared with those from a sample of community children in Quebec. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 1274 children (54.4%). The internal consistency of each DI diagnosis of the French version was reasonable, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.89. The psychometric properties and comorbidity were consistent with the version from Quebec. CONCLUSIONS: The satisfactory psychometric properties of the DI along with other demonstrated advantages of this instrument (children enjoy the activity, parents approve of it, and it is cost-effective) and its cultural adaptability support the consideration of the DI for epidemiologic studies in diverse cultures.

The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: validation study in French school-aged children and cross-cultural comparisons.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychometric properties of the French version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), compare estimates of child mental health problems and SDQ scores across France, US and UK. METHODS: The French version of the parent-reported SDQ was administered to the parents of a representative sample of 1,348 French children aged 6-11 years old. The response rate was 57.6%. We performed three scoring methods and examined their association with socio-demographic data. French SDQ scores were compared with SDQ scores from US and UK national surveys. RESULTS: The French cut-off points for the scoring bands were similar to those of the UK and US, with a few exceptions (peer relationship problems, prosocial behaviour). The internal consistency of the SDQ subscales was acceptable with Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from 0.46 for peer relationship problems to 0.74 for hyperactivity/inattention. Known socio-demographic risk factors were associated with SDQ scoring method. For most SDQ scores, differences between France and the UK were smaller (5%) than those between France and the US. CONCLUSION: The study provided good support for the validity of the parent-reported SDQ in France as well as evidence for the usefulness of the SDQ as a promising screening instrument for epidemiological research and clinical purposes.

Child overweight, associated psychopathology, and social functioning: a French school-based survey in 6- to 11-year-old children.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of child overweight in a regional sample of primary school-aged children, and to examine the relationships among child overweight, psychopathology, and social functioning. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2004 in 100 primary schools of a large French region, with 2,341 children aged 6-11 randomly selected. Child weight and height, lifestyle variables (leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), watching television (TV), playing video games), and socioeconomic characteristics were collected in parent-administered questionnaires. Child psychopathology outcomes were assessed using child- and parent-reported instruments (Dominic Interactive (DI) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)). Overweight and obesity were estimated according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) definition. Response rates to the parent questionnaire and DI were 57.4 and 95.1%, respectively. Final sample size was 1,030 children. According to the IOTF, 17.3% of the children were overweight, of whom 3.3% were obese. In univariate analysis, correlates of overweight were low parental education, low monthly income, Disadvantaged School Areas (DSAs), self-reported generalized anxiety, parent-reported conduct disorders, emotional problems, and peer difficulties. High monthly income was less frequently associated with overweight. In multivariate analysis, parent-reported peer difficulties (odds ratio (OR) = 2.06; 95% confidence interval = 1.27-3.35) and DSAs (1.88; 1.03-3.44) were independent factors significantly associated with child overweight. There was a trend of being overweight with elevated TV times (P for trend = 0.02). The psychosocial burden of excess weight appears to be significant even in young children. Findings should be considered for preventing strategies and public health interventions. School-based overweight prevention programs should be implemented first in disadvantaged areas together with information about weight stigmatization and discrimination.

Self-reported peer victimization and child mental health: results of a cross-sectional survey among French primary school children.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of peer victimization among primary school-aged children, to identify mental health and social correlates, and to assess health care services use. METHODS: One hundred schools and 25 children (6-11 years old) per school were randomly selected in a large French region. Data were collected using standardized self-administered questionnaires to parents (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and children (Dominic Interactive). Three drawings depicting situations of victimization were added to the 91 standard questions of the Dominic Interactive. The categories of victimization considered were as follows: bullied, assaulted not scared, and scared not assaulted (categories mutually exclusive). RESULTS: Complete data were available for 1,274 children (54.4%). The prevalence of bullied children, assaulted not scared, and scared not assaulted was 21.0%, 19.6%, and 19.7%, respectively. Bullied children were characterized by their vulnerability: young age (6-8 yr) and chronic illness. The main correlates were self-reported symptoms of anxiety, major depressive disorder, and parent-reported peer relationship difficulties. Victimization was not associated with higher access to mental health services (odds ratio = 1.0; 95% confidence interval = 0.5-2.1). Except for children who suffered chronic illness, access to physicians was less frequent for bullied children (odds ratio = 0.3; 95% confidence interval = 0.2-0.7). CONCLUSION: Peer victimization was frequent in schools, even in primary schools. Our findings highlight the need for public health interventions in schools and the role of physicians in detecting children at risk.

Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy: a comprehensive analysis based on a large case-control, population-based study in France.

This case-control study was associated with a regional register of ectopic pregnancy between 1993 and 2000 in France. It included 803 cases of ectopic pregnancy and 1,683 deliveries and was powerful enough to investigate all ectopic pregnancy risk factors. The main risk factors were infectious history (adjusted attributable risk = 0.33; adjusted odds ratio for previous pelvic infectious disease = 3.4, 95% percent confidence interval (CI): 2.4, 5.0) and smoking (adjusted attributable risk = 0.35; adjusted odds ratio = 3.9, 95% CI: 2.6, 5.9 for >20 cigarettes/day vs. women who had never smoked). The other risk factors were age (associated per se with a risk of ectopic pregnancy), prior spontaneous abortions, history of infertility, and previous use of an intrauterine device. Prior medical induced abortion was associated with a risk of ectopic pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 7.2); no such association was observed for surgical abortion (adjusted odds ratio = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.8, 1.6). The total attributable risk of all the factors investigated was 0.76. As close associations were found between ectopic pregnancy and infertility and between ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortion, further research into ectopic pregnancy should focus on risk factors common to these conditions. In terms of public health, increasing awareness of the effects of smoking may be useful for ectopic pregnancy prevention.