Introduction: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for the vast majority of all paediatric TBI cases. It is an important public health concern, yet the long-term psychiatric and behavioural outcomes remain imperfectly understood. Aim. This study aims to examine the association between paediatric mTBI and psychiatric and offending outcomes in adulthood, while considering the impact of sex, age at injury and duration since injury on outcome. Participants: Participants with mTBI (n=57) were compared to those with moderate/severe TBI (n=62) and to orthopaedic injury controls (n=42). All participants were injured at age 17 or younger and were 18 years or older at the time of assessment. Outcome measures: Based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria, structured interviews were used to assess participants’ experience of symptoms consistent with major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders (including generalised anxiety disorder, panic attacks and panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and specific phobia), and substance abuse and/or dependence. Participants’ were asked to report on their lifetime involvement with offending, arrests, and diversions and/or convictions. Results: At age 18-31, participants with a paediatric mTBI were significantly more likely than orthopaedic injury controls to endorse symptoms consistent with major depressive disorder by 3.17 times, anxiety disorders by 5.81 times, and internalising disorders in general by 5.80 times and the risk in the mTBI group was greater than that for those with moderate/severe TBI. Females with mTBI were significantly more likely than males, by five times, to endorse an internalising disorder. Paediatric mTBI was not significantly associated with externalising problems when compared with controls; however, males with mTBI were 6.57 times more likely to endorse externalising behaviours than females. Conclusions: Paediatric mTBI is a risk factor for internalising disorders in adulthood, particularly for females. Such findings have implications for assessment and treatment of problems associated with paediatric mTBI.

<p>In this thesis, pre-school teachers’ perceived control, is examined in relation to problem behaviours of children and the actions of teachers in the classroom. In addition, other factors that are thought to relate to teachers’ perceived control were studied.</p><p>The results of <i>Study I </i>indicate that pre-school teachers’ high perceived control was related to high intentions to act in the event of child behaviour problems. Teachers’ high satisfaction with their work was also related to high perceived control. <i>Study II </i>showed that low perceived control was associated with having a high proportion of children with a high level of externalising behaviours and of boys in the classroom. <i>Study III </i>shows that children who had a high level of externalising behaviours at the beginning and throughout the school year had teachers with low perceived control. Teachers’ perceived control was not related to their perception of internalising behaviours in the same way as to externalising behaviours and it was unrelated to a change in any direction of problem behaviours. Concerning changes in problem behaviours, no other factor was found, except a low child to adult ratio for a positive change of internalising behaviours. In <i>Study IV</i>, the aim was to examine naturally occurring child–teacher interactions. Teachers’ responding with commands to children was associated with teachers’ low perceived control, whereas restrictive teacher responses were not related to teachers’ perceived control.</p><p>The present study indicates that teachers’ perceptions of children are important for their perceived control. It provides evidence that teachers’ low perceived control is associated with their difficulties in handling externalising behaviours and the behaviour of the boys in the classroom. Responding to problem behaviours can be explained by teachers’ perceived control, and their perception of a child’s sex and externalising behaviours.</p>

In this thesis, pre-school teachers’ perceived control, is examined in relation to problem behaviours of children and the actions of teachers in the classroom. In addition, other factors that are thought to relate to teachers’ perceived control were studied. The results of Study I indicate that pre-school teachers’ high perceived control was related to high intentions to act in the event of child behaviour problems. Teachers’ high satisfaction with their work was also related to high perceived control. Study II showed that low perceived control was associated with having a high proportion of children with a high level of externalising behaviours and of boys in the classroom. Study III shows that children who had a high level of externalising behaviours at the beginning and throughout the school year had teachers with low perceived control. Teachers’ perceived control was not related to their perception of internalising behaviours in the same way as to externalising behaviours and it was unrelated to a change in any direction of problem behaviours. Concerning changes in problem behaviours, no other factor was found, except a low child to adult ratio for a positive change of internalising behaviours. In Study IV, the aim was to examine naturally occurring child–teacher interactions. Teachers’ responding with commands to children was associated with teachers’ low perceived control, whereas restrictive teacher responses were not related to teachers’ perceived control. The present study indicates that teachers’ perceptions of children are important for their perceived control. It provides evidence that teachers’ low perceived control is associated with their difficulties in handling externalising behaviours and the behaviour of the boys in the classroom. Responding to problem behaviours can be explained by teachers’ perceived control, and their perception of a child’s sex and externalising behaviours.