| Abstract [eng] |
Evelina Grigiene. Relationship between behavioral and emotional difficulties of primary-school-age children and family factors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Master's Thesis in Psychology / Scientific Supervisor prof. dr. Roma Jusienė. Vilnius: Vilnius University, 2022. 67 p. This study uses the data from the project “Long-term impact on children's physical and emotional health” (project manager Prof. Dr. Roma Jusienė) which is financed by the State Public Health Strengthening Fund, Phase I, continued from December 2020 to April 2021. The main goal of this study is to analyze primary-school-age children's behavioral and emotional difficulties and the impact of these difficulties on a child's daily activities with family factors during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study analyzes data from surveys of parents with children of primary school age (7–11 years) (N = 283), 135 girls (49.1%), and 140 boys (50.9%). The average age of children was M = 8.43 years (SD = 1,12). In this study Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) developed by R. Goodman (1997) and adapted in Lithuanian by Gintilienė et.al (2004) was used to assess children's behavioral and emotional difficulties, in addition, parents provided a questionnaire created by the authors of the study. The survey data was collected in the year 2021 spring, which is after the second lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. The results of this study revealed that 55% of children in the total sample were within the norm range of behavioral and emotional difficulties and 45.2% of children were at risk of disorders. The impact of difficulty on a child’s daily activities is within normal limits in 70% of the children in the sample and in the at-risk group about 30% of children. The risk of a behavioral and emotional disorder is higher in younger primary school-age children, elder children in the family, in children whose: a) relationships with parents, b) parental relationships and c) parental coparenting on the child’s upbringing is assessed as poorer, as well as in primary school children whose have experienced important life events in recent years and children whose parents are with a higher level of distress. The results of the study revealed that the impact of difficulties on a child's daily activities is greater in boys, younger children, in children whose: a) relationships with their parents, b) parental relationships and c) parent coparenting on the child’s upbringing is assessed as poorer and children whose parents are with a higher level of distress. Logistic regression analysis found that the risk of a child's behavioral and emotional disorders is predicted by younger primary school age, as well as the position of the eldest child in the family. The child's exposure to behavior and emotional disorder risk group through the impact of difficulties on the child's daily activities is predicted by the male gender and the lower quality of the relationship between the parents and child. |
