Emotional Disturbance 1

Fifty Canadian children in out-of-home placements under the jurisdiction of a child welfare district office were administered a battery of psychological assessment instruments. The purpose was to obtain an estimate of the proportion showing psychopathology. The child's social worker's opinion on the presence or absence of psychopathology and need for mental health services was also determined.
The results showed that 72% of the children were rated by their social workers as displaying emotional disturbance, with 56% recommended for counselling. Depending on the cut-off level used, the test results showed psychopathology rates ranging from approximately 60-80%. Indigenous children were over-represented in the sample, but showed no meaningful differences from non-Native children in psychopathology levels. The overall profile of test results suggested that the sample was characterized by disorders that are relatively enduring and difficult to treat, rather than by those expected in reaction to adverse social conditions.
Note: The 10% cutoff scores were set at a level that would capture the highest-scoring 10% of individuals in the general population. Taking psychoticism, for example, we find that 24% display this condition. The relative risk (RR) value indicates that this rate is 2.4 times that of the general population. The 2% cutoff identifies more serious cases.
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