Problemas emocionais e de comportamento de crianças e adolescentes encaminhados para psicoterapia pela escola: a percepção de genitores e professores

Abstract

The perception of parents and teachers about the emotional and behavioral problems of children and adolescents has been investigated in various contexts, both national and international. Its relevance stems from the high prevalence of this problem in childhood and adolescence, as well as the subsequent forwarding to psychotherapy. The present study aimed to investigate and compare the perceptions of parents and teachers about the emotional and behavioral problems of children and adolescents forward to psychotherapy through four elementary schools in the city of Sapiranga/RS. The dissertation consists of the first two articles entitled "Emotional and behavior of children and adolescents forward to psychotherapy by the school: perceptions of parents and teachers'' and the second:" Socio-demographic characteristics of mothers and teachers of children and adolescents forward to psychotherapy through four local schools in Sapiranga/RS ". We conducted a quantitative survey with a descriptive and comparative study. The sample consisted of 80 mothers, 16 fathers and 87 teachers of children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years. Two socio-demographic questionnaires were used, one for parents and other for teachers, and two instruments to assess the perception of emotional and behavioral problems, one for fathers/mothers (Child Behavior Checklist/6-18anos) and other for teachers (Teacher Rating Form). The data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS (version 20). The results of the study show that there is no discrepancy between the perception of the mother and of the father about the emotional and behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Regarding the perception of parents and teachers, parents evaluate a higher incidence of behavioral problems, both internalizing and externalizing. Regarding the characteristics of mothers and teachers results indicate mothers of children younger than 12 years-old identifying highest emotional withdrawal/introversion than in children under 8 years-old. While children under 8 years-old have higher rule violation behavior score than children that are 8-9 years-old. They also had higher aggressive behavior scores than children under the age of 8, compared to 10-12 years-old. The data from the study indicate teachers perceiving 10-12 year old children had lower scores for emotiona withdrawal/reversal, social problems, emotional problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behavior and aggressive behavior compared to children under 8 years-old and also when compared to children over 12 years-old in the same areas of social problems, emotional problems, rule-breaking behavior and aggressive behavior. Regarding the age of the teachers it is noteworthy that teachers older than 44 years-old had lower scores of students with emotional problems, rule-breaking behavior and aggressive behavior than those those teachers who were 39-44 years-old. These evaluated more aggressive behavior than teachers under 33 years-old. It is considered that the results of the dissertation can assist professionals in mental health, more specifically in the community where the study took place. Through these data one can get a more complete picture of children forward to psychotherapy through school and their families, providing the school new assistance to deal with this problem.