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Objective: First, to investigate whether non-Western children in the Netherlands are less likely to be treated for behavioral problems than Western children; second, to examine whether discrepancies in treatment status are related to differences in level of problem behavior and impairment. Method: The study included 2,185 children of the four largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands, namely, 684 Dutch, 702 Moroccan, 434 Turkish, and 365 Surinamese children from grades three to five of elementary school. Teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and five DSM-IV items on externalizing problems. In addition, they provided information on the treatment status of the child. Results: Moroccan boys displayed more problem behavior, Turkish boys less problem behavior, and Surinamese boys similar rates of problem behavior compared with Dutch boys. No difference in problem behavior was found between Western and non-Western girls. Adjusted for age, level of problem behavior, and impairment, Moroccan and Turkish children and Surinamese girls were less likely to receive treatment for problem behavior. Conclusions: The higher treatment thresholds of non-Western children compared with Western children in the Netherlands could not be explained by differences in level of problem behavior or impairment. Detection of behavioral problems in non-Western children should receive more attention. (Contains 4 tables.)

Objective: Most screening instruments for externalizing disorders have been developed and validated in Western children. We developed and validated a brief screening instrument for predicting externalizing disorders in native Dutch children as well as in non-Dutch immigrant children, using predictors that can be easily obtained from teachers., Method: Teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for an ethnic diverse sample of 2,185 children ages 6 to 10 years. In a stratified subsample, 254 children and their parents were additionally interviewed regarding psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic data. In this group, stepwise logistic regression was used to derive a score from sex and all items of the Hyperactivity and Conduct Problems Scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, for predicting a best-estimate diagnosis of any externalizing disorder. The accuracy of the score was compared between native Dutch and non-Dutch immigrant children., Results: Ninety-one cases of externalizing disorders were identified. An externalizing disorder could be predicted by the items restless, obeys, lies, and concentrates. Sex and ethnicity did not contribute to a prediction of an externalizing disorder. The area under the receiver operating characteristic was 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.79-0.89), indicating good discriminatory power with no substantial differences between native Dutch and non-Dutch immigrant children., Conclusions: Externalizing disorders in both native Dutch and non-Dutch immigrant children can be predicted with a scoring rule, based on only four items that can be easily assessed by teachers. Before this internally validated prediction tool can be implemented, external validation in another sample is necessary.