Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents: The Contribution of the Child's Temperament and the Parents' Psychopathology and Attitudes

Correlates of child psychopathology were studied in a community sample of 210 children and adolescents (with equal numbers of boys and girls). Children suffering from a psychiatric disorder had more temperamental difficulties and their parents showed a higher level of psychopathology than those without a disorder. Furthermore, a regression analysis revealed that difficult temperamental traits in the child and the parents' attitudes toward the child were primary predictors of psychiatric disorders in the child. The relationship between the parent and child as well as the environment-temperament impact on child psychopathology are discussed.