YOUNG CHILD SOCIOEMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AND CUMULATIVE PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK

ABSTRACT Limited information is available about the rates and risk correlates of socioemotional/behavioral problems in young children in pediatric primary care settings serving low‐income families. Our objective was to determine rates of clinically significant socioemotional/behavior problems in 12‐ to 48‐month‐olds from low‐income families and identify associations between problems and individual and cumulative demographic and psychosocial risks. In this study, 378 Spanish‐ and English‐speaking mothers attending a pediatric primary care practice serving low‐income families were surveyed before well‐child visits to assess socioemotional/behavioral problems (Brief Infant–Toddler Social‐Emotional Assessment; M.J. Briggs‐Gowan & A.S. Carter, ) and psychosocial and demographic risks (e.g., unemployment, low social support) (Parent Risk Questionnaire; D.I. Lowell, A.S. Carter, L. Godoy, B. Paulicin, & M.J. Briggs‐Gowan, ). We found that 19.8% of children had clinically significant problems, and 53.2% experienced one or more psychosocial risks. Clinically significant socioemotional/behavioral problems were modestly to strongly associated with individual psychosocial risks, with the strongest associations with parental medical problems, parent depression/anxiety, and extreme parental distress, Adjusted Relative Risk (ARR) = 4.8–6.6, p < .0001. Cumulative demographic and psychosocial risk were uniquely associated with clinically significant problems, particularly among children experiencing three to four psychosocial risks, ARR = 3.0–11.6, p < .05. Psychosocial risks affect the majority of low‐income families with young children, with a steep increase in likelihood of clinically significant socioemotional/behavioral problems as risks accumulate, underscoring the need to address both socioemotional/behavioral issues and psychosocial risk in young children. Antecedentes: Es limitada la información disponible acerca de correlativos tipos y riesgos de problemas socio‐emocionales/de conducta en el caso de niños pequeños en lugares de cuidado pediátrico primario que sirven a familias de bajos recursos. Objetivo: Determinar los tipos de problemas de conducta y socio‐emocionales clínicamente significativos en niños de 12 a 48 meses de edad provenientes de familias de bajos recursos, e identificar asociaciones entre los problemas y los riesgos sicosociales y demográficos tanto individuales como acumulativos. Métodos: Se sometió una encuesta a 378 madres hablantes de españo