Differences In Rates Of Disorders Research Articles

Commentary- Opening a can of worms: the importance of testing the measurement invariance of hierarchical models of psychopathology - a commentary on He and Li (2020).

Measurement invariance is an understudied topic in much of psychopathology research, but its effects have far-reaching consequences. It has rarely been examined with respect to hierarchical models of psychopathology. He & Li's (2020) study represents one of the first attempts to bridge the gap between relatively narrow focused studies on the psychometric properties of specific assessments with broader research on the hierarchical structure of psychopathology. The results are promising, but more research is needed to understand the impact of culture, race, and ethnicity on the expression of psychopathology. Future research may determine whether dimensional and hierarchical models decrease the effect of cultural biases on assessment and help to further understand the etiology of epidemiological differences in rates of disorders. These models may also help to account for culture-bound syndromes.

Rates of DSM-IV mood, anxiety disorders, and suicidality in Australian adult epilepsy outpatients: A comparison of well-controlled versus refractory epilepsy

Despite recent research into the impact of seizure control on mood disorders in epilepsy, it is often assumed that rates of psychiatric disorders are higher in people with refractory rather than well-controlled epilepsy. We assessed the point prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders and suicide risk using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) in a consecutive sample of epilepsy outpatients from a tertiary referral center. One hundred and thirty patients, whose epilepsy was categorized as well-controlled versus drug-treatment-refractory epilepsy (69; 53% well-controlled epilepsy) were recruited. High rates of mood disorders (n=34; 26%), anxiety disorders (n=37; 29%) and suicide risk (n=43; 33%) were found. However, there was no difference in rates of disorders or suicide risk for those with refractory versus well-controlled epilepsy. These results underscore the importance of assessment and management of psychopathology in all people with epilepsy, regardless of their seizure control.

Cross-national differences in questionnaires do not necessarily reflect comparable differences in disorder prevalence.

PurposeTo examine whether the widely used Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) can validly be used to compare the prevalence of child mental health problems cross nationally.MethodsWe used data on 29,225 5- to 16-year olds in eight population-based studies from seven countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, India, Norway, Russia and Yemen. Parents completed the SDQ in all eight studies, teachers in seven studies and youth in five studies. We used these SDQ data to calculate three different sorts of “caseness indicators” based on (1) SDQ symptoms, (2) SDQ symptoms plus impact and (3) an overall respondent judgement of ‘definite’ or ‘severe’ difficulties. Respondents also completed structured diagnostic interviews including extensive open-ended questions (the Development and Well-Being Assessment, DAWBA). Diagnostic ratings were all carried out or supervised by the DAWBA’s creator, working in conjunction with experienced local professionals.ResultsAs judged by the DAWBA, the prevalence of any mental disorder ranged from 2.2% in India to 17.1% in Russia. The nine SDQ caseness indicators (three indicators times three informants) explained 8–56% of the cross-national variation in disorder prevalence. This was insufficient to make meaningful prevalence estimates since populations with a similar measured prevalence of disorder on the DAWBA showed large variations across the various SDQ caseness indicators.ConclusionsThe relationship between SDQ caseness indicators and disorder rates varies substantially between populations: cross-national differences in SDQ indicators do not necessarily reflect comparable differences in disorder rates. More generally, considerable caution is required when interpreting cross-cultural comparisons of mental health, particularly when these rely on brief questionnaires.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00127-011-0440-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Natural Disaster and Risk of Psychiatric Disorders in Puerto Rican Children

We examined the persistence of psychiatric disorders at approximately 18 and 30 months after a hurricane among a random sample of the child and adolescent population (4–17 years) of Puerto Rico. Data were obtained from caretaker-child dyads (N = 1,886) through in person interviews with primary caretakers (all children) and youth (11–17 years) using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV in Spanish. Logistic regressions, controlling for sociodemographic variables, were used to study the relation between disaster exposure and internalizing, externalizing, or any disorder. Children’s disaster-related distress manifested as internalizing disorders, rather than as externalizing disorders at 18 months post-disaster. At 30 months, there was no longer a significant difference in rates of disorder between hurricane-exposed and non-exposed youth. Results were similar across age ranges. Rates of specific internalizing disorders between exposed and unexposed children are provided. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Female Conduct Disorder: Health Status in Young Adulthood

Purpose One of the risk factors for poor adult health may be adolescent antisocial behavior, especially in girls. This study was conducted to determine if negative young adult health outcomes in girls who previously had adolescent antisocial behavior could be explained by demographic factors and pre-existing health problems. Methods This 3-year longitudinal study recruited 93 girls, ages 15–17 years (52 with conduct disorder [CD]; 41 with no psychiatric illness [normal controls; NC]) from the community. Baseline interviews of girls and parents collected demographic, psychiatric, and medical history data. Three annual interviews collected data about medical problems, health care service utilization, and reproductive health. In addition, the final follow-up included a standardized self-report questionnaire about young adult health status. Results CD and NC groups did not differ in age, racial composition, social class, proportion of smokers, or drug and alcohol experimentation. They were qualitatively different in baseline medical histories. Controlling for age at follow-up and baseline medical problems, the CD group as young adults had worse overall health, more discomfort, higher rates of unhealthy habits, lower rates of healthy behaviors, and more pregnancies at earlier ages. There were no group differences in rates of disorders, injuries, or health care usage. Conclusions Adolescent girls with CD as young adults have poorer overall health, more discomfort, more health risk behaviors, and earlier onset of adult reproductive behaviors, even when controlling for demographic factors and pre-existing health history. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

The interplay of nature, nurture, and developmental influences: the challenge ahead for mental health.

This article succinctly reviews research achievements in the fields of psychiatric genetics, psychosocial influences on mental disorder, and developmental processes. The challenges for the future are discussed in relation to finding and understanding the following: (1) susceptibility genes; (2) environmentally mediated causal risk processes; (3) nature-nurture interplay; (4) the effects of psychosocial adversity on the organism; (5) the causal processes responsible for group differences in rates of disorder; and (6) age-related changes in psychopathological characteristics.

The Long‐term Psychological Effects of a Disaster Experienced in Adolescence: II: General Psychopathology

Children and adolescents exposed to trauma can suffer major adverse psychological effects including not only post-traumatic stress but also other psychological disorders. This study investigates the long-term course of general psychopathology following trauma in adolescence using a standardised diagnostic interview and comparisons with a matched control group. Young people (N= 216) who as teenagers had survived a shipping disaster-the sinking of the "Jupiter" in Greek waters-between 5 and 8 years previously and 87 young people as matched controls were interviewed. The survivors showed raised rates of diagnosis in a range of anxiety and affective disorders during the follow-up period. The highest rates were among the survivors who had developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and those survivors who had not were generally similar to the controls. Onset of anxiety and affective disorders varied between being indefinitely close to the disaster to years later. Differences in rates of disorder between the survivor and control groups had lessened by the time of follow-up but were still apparent, due to continuing distress among the survivors still suffering from PTSD, and to a lesser extent among those who had recovered from PTSD. Generalisability of the findings are discussed.

The Long-term Psychological Effects of a Disaster Experienced in Adolescence: II: General Psychopathology

Children and adolescents exposed to trauma can suffer major adverse psychological effects including not only post-traumatic stress but also other psychological disorders. This study investigates the long-term course of general psychopathology following trauma in adolescence using a standardised diagnostic interview and comparisons with a matched control group. Young people (N= 216) who as teenagers had survived a shipping disaster—the sinking of the “Jupiter” in Greek waters—between 5 and 8 years previously and 87 young people as matched controls were interviewed. The survivors showed raised rates of diagnosis in a range of anxiety and affective disorders during the follow-up period. The highest rates were among the survivors who had developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and those survivors who had not were generally similar to the controls. Onset of anxiety and affective disorders varied between being indefinitely close to the disaster to years later. Differences in rates of disorder between the survivor and control groups had lessened by the time of follow-up but were still apparent, due to continuing distress among the survivors still suffering from PTSD, and to a lesser extent among those who had recovered from PTSD. Generalisability of the findings are discussed.

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in HIV illness

This paper summarizes the available data on prevalence of psychiatric disorders in HIV+ samples. Primary emphasis is placed on studies using structured interviews for diagnosis and including matched HIV seronegative comparison groups. Such comparison groups permit determination of whether membership in a given risk group, or HIV infection as such, largely account for differences in rates of disorder compared to total population rates. The cumulative evidence indicates that HIV status or stage of illness are not by themselves strong predictors of mood or anxiety disorders. Risk group membership and a prior history of depression appear to be more strongly related. Whether one-month prevalence rates of major depression for non-intravenous drug users in the 5–8% range are considered ‘high’ (more than double the total population rates in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area studies) or unexpectedly low (compared to those with other terminal illnesses or the initial reports of HIV-related psychopathology from the m...

Genetics of depression: a social science perspective

Almost all genetic research on depression, until recent work with the Virginia Twin Register, has been based on ‘non-neurotic’ conditions seen in in-patient settings. While these have provided firm evidence for genetic effects, they are not relevant for the bulk of depressive disorders. The importance of a comparative population approach for the latter is emphasized as an adjunct to genetically sensitive designs since the latter deal only with variance arising from individual variability within a population. This means that it is possible for population differences in rates of disorder to be essentially determined by parallel differences in psychosocial factors even on the conservative assumption that a genetic liability is present in every instance of the disorder. The perspective is particularly important where, as with depression, a clinically relevant condition can show large differences in rates between populations. Behavioural genetic concepts of heritability and shared environment are discussed in the light of the possibility that the bulk of depressive conditions (‘neurotic’ depression) have relatively little genetic influence and that early intrafamilial experience of neglect and abuse are of aetiological importance.

Child Psychiatry in Developing Countries

Child psychiatry in developing countries has recently attained the status of an established specialty. This review looks at available epidemiological data, and factors contributing to similarities and differences in rates of disorder. The relevance of child psychiatry to child health in these countries has service, training and research implications.

Lifetime and Current Prevalence of Specific Psychiatric Disorders Among Vietnam Veterans and Controls

To determine if Vietnam theater veterans were more likely than controls to have a specific psychiatric disorder other than posttraumatic stress disorder, the rates of specific psychiatric disorders were estimated using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for national samples of veterans who served in Vietnam, other veterans of the Vietnam era, and matched civilian controls. Overall, there were few differences in rates of disorder between theater and other veterans; there were somewhat more differences between theater veterans and civilians. There were striking differences, however, in rates for most disorders, both lifetime and current, between male theater veterans with high levels of exposure to war zone stress and other male veterans or civilians. Female veterans exposed to high levels of war zone stress also had higher rates than other female respondents for several disorders.