Impairments of executive functionin young children referred to child psychiatric outpatient clinic

Hanna Huhdanpää, Liisa Klenberg, Hannu Westerinen, Paula Hannele Bergman, Eeva Tuulikki Aronen

Forskningsoutput: TidskriftsbidragArtikelVetenskapligPeer review

Sammanfattning

Few studies have reported on the quantity and quality of executive function (EF) deficits in young children referred to child psychiatric outpatient clinic with multiple psychiatric symptoms. We evaluated the EF deficits with the Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory-Preschool (ATTEX-P) filled out by day care teachers for 4- to 7-year-old clinical group (n = 171) and reference group (n = 709). Family background information was collected from all families by parent questionnaire. Diagnoses of the referred children were collected from medical records. Clinical group exhibited higher mean ranks across the ATTEX-P Total score and all nine subscales than reference group (p <.001). Most of the children in the clinical group (58.5%) showed a significant amount of EF deficits (ATTEX-P Total score over clinical cut-off) including distractibility (55.6%) and impulsivity (53.8%) regardless of their diagnoses. In a multiple logistic regression model (controlling for age, gender and parental education), children in the clinical group had increased risk (odds ratio (OR)) = 10.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [6.88, 16.2], p <.001) for scoring over the clinical cut-off point on the ATTEX-P Total score. Assessment of EFs should be a routine part of the treatment plan in young children referred to child psychiatric outpatient clinic as it may guide the treatment choices.

Originalspråkengelska
TidskriftClinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry
Volym24
Nummer1
Sidor (från-till)95-111
Antal sidor17
ISSN1359-1045
DOI
StatusPublicerad - jan. 2019
MoE-publikationstypA1 Tidskriftsartikel-refererad

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  • 515 Psykologi
  • 3124 Neurologi och psykiatri

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