Abstract
Background
Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) in children significantly influence developmental domains, including interpersonal relationships, academic performance, and life skills.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was adopted with purposive sampling. The study includes 120 children aged 6–14 years from West Bengal, equally divided into groups with and without EBPs. Standardized tools such as the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), Child Interpersonal Relationships and Attitudes Assessment (CIRAA), Academic Performance Scale (APS), and Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS) were used.
Results
Children with EBPs significantly scored lower in interpersonal relationships (p = .015) and life skills (p < .001) compared to peers without EBPs. However, they seem to scored slightly better in academic performance (p = .026). Correlation analyses showed a weak but significant relationship between EBPs and interpersonal relationships (r = 0.198, p = .030), a negative correlation with academic performance (r = −0.217, p = .017), and a moderately strong positive correlation with life skills (r = 0.457, p < .001).
Conclusion
These EBPs obstruct the development of interpersonal and life skills, while their impact on academics varies with contextual factors. Thus, the study stresses that interventions should provide academic support, social-emotional learning and life skills training in schools and communities.
Plain Language Summary
Our recent study examined how emotional and behavioral problems in children affect their daily lives and development. We have collected the data from 120 children between 6 and 14 years old in India. We wanted to understand how these challenges impact three important areas of children’s lives: their relationships with others, their performance in school, and their ability to handle everyday tasks and situations. Using several assessment tools designed for children, we measured how well the kids were doing in each of these areas. We found that children dealing with emotional and behavioral problems had noticeably more difficulty forming and maintaining relationships with friends, family, and teachers compared to children without these issues. They also struggled significantly more with everyday life skills things like managing their time, solving problems, making decisions, and coping with stress. We found that emotional and behavioral problems had a moderate to strong relationship with life skills difficulties, meaning children with more emotional challenges typically struggled more with handling daily situations. The connection with relationships and academic performance was weaker but still noticeable. Our study’s key message is clear: emotional and behavioral problems in children create real obstacles in developing social connections and practical life skills, even though their effect on schoolwork may vary. This means that schools and communities need to provide comprehensive support not just helping children keep up academically, but also teaching them how to manage emotions, build healthy relationships, and develop the skills they need to navigate life successfully.
Keywords
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