Informatics Publishing Limited

Malavika Kapur , R. Parthasarathy , R. L. Kapur

Abstract

An orientation course was conducted to sensitise teachers to emotional problems of children. One hundred and eleven teachers were given a brief orientation course on causation, identification and referral of behaviour and emotional problems, poor school performance, psychosomatic illness, speech disorders, epilepsy and psychoses amongst school children. An evaluation of information gained and of counselling potential of the participants was conducted by comparing their performance on specific parameters before and after the course. The trainee teachers showed significant gain in information. Their counselling potential as rated by four independent raters also showed significant improvement. The study highlights the rationale and methodology of one of the methods for detecting potential mental health workers.

Keywords

Mental Health Counsellors, School Teachers, Identification

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Malavika Kapur

Abstract

Pattern of psychiatric disturbance in a homogenous group of 353 boys between the ages of 10 to 16 years in a residential school was studied. Nine teachers rated the children utilizing Children Behaviour Questionnaire of Rutter. The result showed significantly high occurrence of poor academic performance and high morbidity rates in the eleven and twelve year olds. The overall prevalence rate of Psychiatric disturbance was 25%.

Keywords

Psychiatric Disturbance, Residential, School Children, Cross Sectional, Epidemiological Survey

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Annie John , Malavika Kapur

Abstract

This is an exploratory investigation of children who experience scholastic difficulties. The review of literature suggests that psychological factors play an important role in this problem. The children studied here, from a Child Guidance Clinic, were divided in to two groups on the basis of the duration of their complaints. It was found that those who have always experienced the scholastic problems have significantly lower Intelligence Quotients and have a history of delay in developmental milestones. Those who currently have the problem have a higher Intelligence Quotient and significantly decreased interaction with their fathers.

Keywords

Scholastic Backwardness, Intelligence, Parental Interaction

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Anna Oommen , Malavika Kapur , Sanjeev Sarmukaddam

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the psychological deficits associated with the Hyperkinetic Syndrome. The variables studied were attention, memory, intelligence, impulsivity, visuo-motor co- ordination, social maturity, and spatial perception and organization. The sample consisted of 30 children in the age range 4-9 years, comprising three groups, i.e., hyperkinetic, overactive and normal with 10 children in each group. The children were screened on the Rutter B Scale and Conners Abbreviated Rating Scale. A battery of psycholgical tests was administered on each child. The hyperkinetic group was found to perform poorly on al the variables assessed, whereas the pattern of psycholgical deficits in the overactive children resembled more that of the normal group than that of the hyperkinetic group.

Keywords

Hyperkinesis, Psychological Deficits

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Thomas P. Ninan , Malavika Kapur

Abstract

The present study investigated 18 hysterics and 18 normal adolescents in the age group of 12 to 16 years. The hysteric group and the normal group were matched on age, sex and years of schooling. Results show that hysterics have normal intelligence and overall adjustment whereas, normals have significantly higher intelligence and better overall adjustment. The two groups are similar in their dependency needs, both tending to be marginally dependent. However, hysterics have significantly greater number of stresses and also come from poorer socio-economic background.

Keywords

Hysteria, Early Adolescence, Stress, Adjustment

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H. Uma , Malavika Kapur , V. G. Kaliaperumal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the symptoms of hysteria in children and highlight other features of the disorder. The sample consisted of seventy children in the age range between 8-12 years diagnosed as hysteria (as per ICD-9). Findings revealed varied symptomatology and presence of precipitating events, model, primary and secondary gains.

Keywords

Children, Hysterical Symptoms

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Anna Oommen , Malavika Kapur , V. Shanmugham

Abstract

The distinctiveness of the Hyperkinetic Syndrome of childhood, from Hyperkinetic Conduct Disorder and Unsocialized Conduct Disorder with regard to deficits in attention, reaction time and visual-motor integration was explored. Intervention strategies to handle these deficits, specific to the different clinic groups has been discussed.

Keywords

Hyperkinesis, Attention, Reaction Time, Visual-Motor Integration

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Arpita Biswas Sarkar , Malavika Kapur , V. G. Kaliaperumal

Abstract

The study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage 408 school going children between eight and twelve years of age were selected for screening and their respective teachers were asked to fill up the Rutter's A and B proforma. The point prevalence of disturbance was found to be 10.54 per cent, being somewhat similar for both the sexes, with peaking of disturbance at eight to nine years of age. In the second stage, to obtain the profile and pattern of disturbance, a sample of eighteen children were selected from each of the 'disturbed' and 'nondisturbed' group, through stratified sampling for age and sex, and their respective teachers rated them on the Achenbach's Child Behaviour Check Lists. The disturbed students were found to be significantly higher on unpopular, self destructive, inattentive, nervous, overactive and other problems scores than nondisturbed students. Boys had higher externalising problems, while the girls had higher internalizing problems. Rutter's proforma was found to have less sensitivity for detecting internalizing problems.

Keywords

Epidemiology, Prevalence , Psychological Disorders, Middle Childhood Period

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P. Jyothi Shenoy , Malavika Kapur , V. Shanmugham

Abstract

The inter-rater (n=68) and test-retest (a =56) reliability of the Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ) 1 was studied on two separate subsamples. The reliability coefficients obtained for the total score and the antisocial subscore were highly significant across all the groups (boys, girls and entire sample). The neurotic subscore on the other hand, was found to be highly reliable when used in the overall sample, but not when used separately on boys and girls. It has been suggested that certain standard guidelines be incorporated into the rating procedure so as to increase the accuracy of ratings as well as the reliability of the CBQ. With the incorporation of these guidelines, the CBQ can be used as a reliable tool for screening psychological disturbance among children in future Indian studies.

Keywords

Children's Behaviour Questionnaire, Test-retest Reliability, Inter-rater Reliability

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Sudipta Mukerjee , Uma Hirisave , Malavika Kapur , D. K. Subbakrishna

Abstract

The study aimed at examining anxiety and self-esteem in children with Specific Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills (SDDSS). A purposive sample of 40 children between the ages of 8-13 years, attending English medium schools, with Iqs above 80 were taken. Of these, 20 children fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria for SDDSS, were taken from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, and compared to 20 non-SDDSS children drawn from nearby schools. Both groups were assessed on: (1) A semi-structured interview schedule (2) Malin's Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) (3) NIMHANS Index for Specific Learning Disabilities (4) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and (5) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory for Children. The obtained data was analysed using descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests. Findings revealed a significant difference in self-esteem of children with and without SDDSS. Particularly, low parental, academic and general self-esteem were seen in SDDSS children (p<0.01). The SDDSS children also had significantly higher state anxiety (p<0.01), but did not differ significantly on trait anxiety scores. Moreover, parental self-esteem was found to be significantly related to state and trait anxiety in SDDSS children. The findings were discussed in terms of their importance in planning intervention for the SDDSS children, both in the clinic and school settings.

Keywords

Specific Disorders of Scholastic Skills, Anxiety And Self-esteem

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Honey Oberoi Vahali , Malavika Kapur

Abstract

A group intervention programme in the school setting was developed for children having hyperkinetic-conduct problems. The sample consisted of ten boys in the age range of six to nine years. The pre and post assessment tools used were: (a) Conners Abbreviated Rating Scale (CARS), (b) Bartley's School Situations Questionnaire (SSQ), (c) Barkley's Home Situations Questionnaire (HSQ), (d) Seguin Form Board Test (SFB), (e) Colour Cancellation Test (CCT), (f) Bender Gestalt Test (BGT) and (g) Porteus Maze Test (PMT). The children were divided into three groups. The Intervention aimed at (i) enhancing attentional skills, (ii) facilitating prosocial behaviour, (iii) eliminating problematic behaviour. Results revealed that parents and teachers both observed the children to be more compliant and less stubborn. The post assessment of the children showed significant improvements on the BGT, SFB, PMT and CCT. At a three months follow-up, eight of the ten children were still maintaining the gains of intervention.

Keywords

School Based, Hyperkinetic, Group Intervention, Children

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Jyothi Shenoy , Malavika Kapur , V. G. Kaliaperumal

Abstract

This paper reports the findings from the first stage of a two-stage epidemiological study of psychological disturbance among five to eight year old school going children. 1535 children consisting of 810 boys and 725 girls were screened for psychological disturbance using the Children's Behaviour Questionnaire. In all, 18.31 per cent of the children in the sample were found to be "disturbed", with boys having a significantly higher prevalence rate than the girls. In addition, 'antisocial' problems were more commonly found among boys while girls more often manifested 'neurotic' problems. The distribution of individual behavioural/emotional problems has also been reported.

Keywords

Psychological Disturbance, Children, Prevalence, Antisocial, Neurotic

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