NCJ Number
213664
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 476-483
Date Published
April 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether non-Western children in the Netherlands receive treatment for behavioral problems at a lower rate than Western children and whether treatment discrepancies are related to differences in level of problem behavior and impairment.
Abstract
Differences in problem children emerged between non-Western and Western boys: Moroccan boys displayed more problem behavior, Turkish boys less problem behavior, and Surinamese boys displayed similar levels of problem behavior compared with Dutch boys. No ethic differences in problem behavior emerged for girls. The analysis indicated that treatment discrepancies could not be explained by differences in level of problem behavior: Moroccan and Turkish children and Surinamese girls were less likely to receive treatment for problem behavior than other children. The findings suggest that the detection of behavioral disorders in non-Western children should receive more attention, which might include developing additional means of healthcare system access for immigrant populations. Participants were 2,802 children enrolled in grades 3 through 5 in the Netherlands; child participants represented the 4 largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands. One hundred and seventy-four teachers completed the Dutch version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire assessing the positive and negative attributes of the sampled children. Questions were added for the assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Data analysis techniques included chi-square calculations and logistic regression analysis. Future studies should focus on why non-Western children in the Netherlands do not receive treatment services at the same rate as Western children. Tables, references