Problem behaviors and personality of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Compare behavioral and emotional problems of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and clients consulting mental health centers (MHC) and related behavioral and emotional problems to the children's personality in the PWS group. METHODS Participants were 39 children with PWS and 585 matched MHC clients. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) syndromes were related to the Big-Five personality factors measured with the California Child Q-sort (CCQ). RESULTS Mean CBCL Total Problems scores were not different for the PWS and MHC groups, but differences were found for several of the CBCL subscales. Patterns of correlations among CBCL scales were similar in both groups, although coefficients were generally higher in the PWS group, indicating higher comorbidity or co-absence of CBCL syndromes in children and adolescents with PWS. Personality profiles were specific for internalizing and Externalizing problems of children and adolescents with PWS.