Family and Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Longitudinal Epidemiological Study of Adolescents

doi:10.1097/00004583-200502000-00004

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Volume 44, Issue 2, February 2005, Pages 121-129

https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200502000-00004 Get rights and content

ABSTRACT

Objective

To study the association of family and social risk factors with psychopathology in a longitudinal study of adolescents.

Method

From 1986 to 1988, 3,419 seventh through ninth graders were screened with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The top decile scorers and a random sample of the remainder were interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (n = 581). Follow-up interviews were completed 6 years later (mean age = 18.65; n = 490). Baseline variables are associated with baseline and follow-up diagnoses. Diagnoses are grouped by affective, disruptive, and anxiety disorders.

Results

The frequency of psychiatric diagnosis decreased from 19.9% (baseline) to 5.7% (follow-up). In multivariable logistic regression analyses controlling for race, gender, and socioeconomic status, baseline undesirable life events and low family cohesion are associated with any disorder and affective disorder at baseline. Not living with both biological parents at baseline increases the odds ratio (OR) for affective disorder at baseline (OR 3.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.68-7.08) and follow-up (OR 4.40; CI = 1.26-15.40). At baseline and follow-up, anxiety and affective disorders are associated with being white and anxiety disorder with being female.

Conclusions

Family structure and cohesion and stressful life events are associated with affective disorders in adolescents.

Section snippets

METHOD

The data for this study were collected in two waves as part of a longitudinal study of depression in adolescents. Approval was obtained from the University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board. Active parental or student (if the student was 18) consent and student assent were required. First-wave data were collected from 1987 through 1989 on seventh through ninth grade students in six public schools in a single southeastern school district. There were few dropouts in these school years.

RESULTS

Of the 581 subjects who completed a diagnostic evaluation during the first cycle, 490 (84%) participated in the second cycle. Sixty-six subjects (11%) refused to participate and 25 (4%) could not be located. Participation rates in the second cycle did not vary by race, gender or the presence of DSM-III diagnoses at baseline. Demographic and family characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 1.

Males make up 46.9% of the sample and 83.4% are white. The average age at baseline was 12.78

DISCUSSION

Family and social variables appear to play a role in increasing the risk of onset or perpetuation of mental disorders in this community sample of adolescents. Because there are no data on previous psychiatric disorders at baseline, it is not certain that the disorders diagnosed at baseline are the adolescent's first disorder. Although the association of family cohesion and undesirable life events at baseline may attenuate somewhat over time, the association of family-structure (not living with

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This research was supported by NIMH grant MH40363 .

Disclosure: Dr. McKeown is an editor of a textbook series for Jossey-Bass publishers. The other authors have no financial relationships to disclose.

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ARTICLESFamily and Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Longitudinal Epidemiological Study of Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

METHOD

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Psychosom Res

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Affect Disord

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Two stage sampling designs for adolescent depression studies

Sex differences and adolescent depression

J Abnorm Psychol

Parental divorce and the well-being of children: a meta-analysis

Psychol Bull

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

The family history method using diagnostic criteria, reliability and validity

Arch Gen Psychiatry

The family history approach to diagnosis, how useful is it?

Arch Gen Psychiatry

The assessment of affective disorders in children and adolescents by semi-structured interview: test-retest reliability of the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children

Arch Gen Psychiatry

An epidemiological study of disorders in late childhood and adolescence-II. Persistence of disorders

J Child Psychol Psychiatry

An epidemiological study of disorders in late childhood and adolescence. I. Age- and gender-specific prevalence

J Child Psychol Psychiatry

Children of depressed parents: an integrative review

Psychol Bull

Prospective investigation of the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage, life stress, and social support on early adolescent adjustment

J Abnorm Psychol

Resilience in adolescents: protective role of social support, coping strategies, self-esteem, and social activities on experience of stress and depression

J Youth Adolesc

Family risk factors, parental depression, and psychopathology in offspring

Dev Psychol

ARTICLES
Family and Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Longitudinal Epidemiological Study of Adolescents