元分析：用DSM取向ASEBA量表评估慢性躯体疾病儿童的心理问题

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Pediatric Psychology

• University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Abstract

Background: Chronic physical health conditions (CPHCs) increase the risk of mental health problems. The present meta-analysis integrates research of studies that compared DSM-oriented scores from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) in young people with CPHCs and a control condition. Methods: A systematic search in electronic databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Google Scholar, and PSYNDEX) identified 115 studies involving 12,958 children and adolescents with CPHCs and 24,638 control group members which were included in a hierarchical meta-analysis. Results: Elevated scores were found on all DSM-oriented scales, with the highest effect sizes observed for Somatic Problems (g = .66 standard deviation units, confidence interval [CI] .56 to .75) and Affective Problems (g = .61, CI .53 to .69). Between 8.6% (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems) and 14.3% (Affective Problems) of the young people with CPHCs scored in the clinical range. Effect sizes were larger if parent ratings rather than adolescent or teacher ratings were used, in the case of direct neurological involvement and of shorter duration of the CPHCs, in older samples, and when test norms rather than healthy comparison groups were used. Conclusions: We conclude that the ASEBA is a recommended screening tool for children with CPHCs but more direct comparisons of results from the DSM-based scales and the empirically derived ASEBA scales are needed to inform the choice of the scales.

Keywords

Achenbach system of empirically based assessment, Child Behavior Checklist, chronic illness, Chronic physical health conditions, Meta-analysis

Received

07 July 2026

Accepted

30 September 2026

Copyright

© 2026 Pinquart and Lütke-Lengerich. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence:

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

• Outline
• Share
• Metrics
• More