Attributions of behavior in the pediatric mild closed head injury (CHI) population

Kevin M. Antshel, Anuj Malhotra, Danielle Seigers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Forty-one children between the ages of 6 and 11 years with a history of a mild closed head injury and 23 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched typically developing control children participated. All of the children in the CHI sample were referred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at 3 months post-injury and children in the CHI sample were further divided into MRI-Negative (n = 31) and MRI-Positive (n = 10) conditions according to the MRI results. Parents and teachers completed behavioral checklists at three points, including just prior to the MRI and 6 months post-injury. Prior to the MRI (Time 2), in both samples of children with a CHI, parents reported an increase in externalizing symptoms after the CHI. At 6 months post-injury (Time 3: post-MRI), parents of children in the MRI-Positive group did not report any significant changes in their child's externalizing behaviors when compared with pre-MRI, yet parents of children in the MRI-Negative group reported a further increase in externalizing behaviors. Parent attributions also changed as a function of group membership; whereas no changes were noted in the other two groups, parents of children in the MRI-Negative sample ascribed more controllability at Time 3 when compared with Time 2.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)48-63
Number of pages16
JournalPsychology, Health and Medicine
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Closed head injury (CHI)
  • Externalizing behavior
  • Parent attributions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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