Bilingual children: cross-sectional relations of psychiatric syndrome severity and dual language proficiency

Harvard Review of Psychiatry
Claudio O ToppelbergStuart T Hauser

Abstract

The severity of child psychiatric disorders is commonly associated with child language delays. However, the characteristics of these associations in the fast-growing population of bilingual children remain unknown. To begin to address this gap, we studied a unique sample of Spanish-English bilingual children with significant parent-reported psychopathology (n = 29), focusing on their language proficiencies and psychiatric severity using the Child Behavior Check List. We present cross-sectional analyses of associations of general and specific language proficiency in Spanish and English with the severity of specific psychiatric syndromes. We found Spanish language-proficiency scores to have negative correlations with a wide range of psychiatric symptoms, particularly externalizing (i.e., delinquency and aggression) symptoms (r = -.38 to -.61, p < or = .05). English scores were similarly associated. Dual language tests covering multiple specific language dimensions explained a large proportion (51%) of overall variance in aggression symptoms and also important proportions (40%) of total and attentional symptoms. While children's proficiency levels in both Spanish and English showed similar associations with the symptom severity me...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1996·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·H R Bird
Jun 1, 1996·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·J H BeitchmanW Lancee
Jan 1, 1996·The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry·J J GiddanN B Campbell
Nov 18, 1997·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·R Paul, L Kellogg
May 20, 1998·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·N J Cohen, N B Horodezky
Feb 16, 2000·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·C O Toppelberg, T Shapiro
Jun 7, 2002·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·Claudio O ToppelbergAlfonso Nieto-Castañon

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 4, 2014·Applied Psycholinguistics·Gabriela Simon-CereijidoMonica Sweet
Nov 9, 2010·Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America·Claudio O Toppelberg, Brian A Collins
Jan 20, 2017·Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie·Brigitte EisenwortClaudia M Klier
Aug 11, 2018·Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie·Brigitte EisenwortClaudia Klier
Mar 17, 2020·Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology : the Official Journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53·Nicole Colón-QuintanaJocelyn Smith Carter

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Claudio O ToppelbergAlfonso Nieto-Castañon
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
Sheng-Han KuoElan D Louis
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved