<![CDATA[Children and adolescents may experience emotional and behavioural difficulties at the same time, but these symptoms are frequently examined as separate domains. This study explored the prevalence of co-occurring internalising and externalising symptoms among 1,109 school-going children and adolescents aged 9–19 years in selected South African provinces. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were collected using the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure. The study examined the prevalence of symptom co-occurrence, how they were distributed across provinces, and the relationship between emotional and behavioural symptoms. Most participants presented with elevated co-occurring internalising and externalising symptoms (91.1%), with similar patterns found across provinces. A strong relationship was found between emotional and behavioural symptoms. The findings show that children’s psychological difficulties frequently involve multiple symptom domains, highlighting the importance of “assessing these symptom domains concurrently in schools.]]>
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