Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and social-emotional functioning. The social-emotional health of children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus is not well characterized. This study examined social-emotional and behavioral functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 parent report scores were compared to the BASC-3 normative sample using one-sample t-tests to evaluate overall social-emotional functioning. BASC-3 scores were correlated with the social-emotional domain of the HOQ using Pearson's r to determine if the HOQ accurately captures the social-emotional functioning of children with hydrocephalus in a neurosurgery setting. BASC-3 and HOQ scores of children with different etiologies of hydrocephalus were compared using one-way ANOVAs. Children with hydrocephalus of all etiologies had more difficulties with social-emotional functioning compared to normative populations, but there were no differences in functioning between etiologies. The social-emotional domain of the HOQ correlated more strongly with the BASC-3 than did the physical and cognitive domains. These results provide evidence that children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus may be at increased risk of social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, but etiology may not be particularly helpful in predicting what kinds or degree of difficulty. This study also supports the content and divergent validity of the social-emotional domain of the HOQ.

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. Etiology can be a major factor in health outcomes, but prior research on psychosocial functioning in hydrocephalus has been with limited etiologies. This study examined psychosocial functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 and HOQ parent report scores were compared between hydrocephalus etiologies. Medical factors (number of CSF diversion procedures, history of seizures, and years with hydrocephalus) and SES factors (family income, parent education, and parent occupational status) were examined as potential predictors for psychosocial outcomes. BASC-3 attention and executive functioning and HOQ social-emotional scales differed between etiologies. Years with hydrocephalus and a history of seizures were significant predictors for some BASC-3 scales and the HOQ social-emotional scale. SES variables did not predict any psychosocial outcomes examined. These results provide evidence that children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus may be at increased risk of psychosocial difficulties, and that etiology and medical history may be contributing factors.