Indicators of Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Adolescents: Evaluation among Multiple Informants

TLDR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the association and agreement pattern regarding the indicators of internalizing and externalizing problems and total problems among adolescents, their families and teachers, and confirmed the need to contemplate multiple informants in the evaluation of emotional/behavioral difficulties of adolescents, with a view to its better understanding and detailing.

Abstract: Abstract The prevalence rates of emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence suggest that their identification through different informants is relevant for the treatment and prevention of clinical conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association and agreement pattern regarding the indicators of internalizing and externalizing problems and total problems among adolescents, their families and teachers. Seventy adolescents, 70 family members and 21 teachers, who answered, respectively, the Youth Self Report and the Child Behavior Checklist in their version for parents and teachers participated in this study. There was greater concordance in the evaluation of adolescents and relatives than of teachers and adolescents and lack of agreement between family members and teachers. In addition, adolescents showed more indicators of internalizing problems. Thus, it is confirmed the need to contemplate multiple informants in the evaluation of emotional/behavioral difficulties of adolescents, with a view to its better understanding and detailing.