The Epidemiology of Child Psychopathology: Basic Principles and Research Data

Abstract

Gender differences in prevalence are very robust across cultures, informants and across types of studies, in particular those that used rating scales and those that used DSM diagnostic criteria. Girls score higher than boys on internalizing psychopathology such as anxiety, depression and somatic complaints, and boys score higher than girls on externalizing behaviours such as attention and hyperactivity problems and aggressive and delinquent behaviours. These gender differences are found for both parent- and self- reported problems. Despite the range in cultural, economic, political and genetic differences, there is consistency in population-based findings that boys have more externalizing and girls have more internalizing problems