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Biomedical subjects

R McGee

Publications and source records attributed to R McGee.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

DSM-III-R disorders in New Zealand 18-year-olds.

The one-year prevalence and correlates of selected DSM-III-R disorders were determined in a sample of 930 18-year-olds. Using both diagnostic and impairment criteria 340 individuals (36.6%) were considered to have disorder. The most prevalent disorders were major depressive episode (16.7%), alcohol dependence (10.4%) and social phobia (11.1%). There was a high degree of co-morbidity among disorders; 46% of those with disorder had two or more. The prevalence of disorders was greater for females, with the exception of conduct disorder and alcohol or marijuana dependence. A variety of characteristics were associated with disorder, including poor social competence, disadvantage and self-rated health status. A third of those with disorder had their problems recognised by a "significant-other". The results are presented within the context of a perceived need for research in the area of adolescent and early adult mental health in order to minimise the toll of mental disorder in later life.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Allergic disorders and attention deficit disorder in children.

It has been suggested that children with attention deficit disorder-hyperactivity (ADDH) are likely to show allergic disorders, and that both ADDH and allergic disorders may share a common biological background. In a large sample of children from the general population we found no association between parent, teacher, and self-reports of ADDH behaviors and a history of allergic disorders (asthma, eczema, rhinitis, and urticaria) at ages 9 or 13 years. Similarly, reports of ADDH behaviors at age 13 years were not related to level of atopic responsiveness by skin test or serum IgE levels. Our findings call into question the hypothesis that there is a relationship between ADDH and allergic disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The importance of conduct problems and depressive symptoms in predicting adolescent substance use.

The current study assessed the relative importance of conduct problems and depressive symptoms, measured at two ages (11 and 15), for predicting substance use at age 15 in an unselected birth cohort of New Zealand adolescents. Among males, when the relative predictive utility of both conduct problems and depressive symptoms was assessed, only pre-adolescent depressive symptoms were found to predict multiple drug use 4 years later. No predictive relation was found between early symptomatology and later substance use among females. The strongest association between predictors and substance use emerged between age 15 multiple drug use and concurrent conduct problems for both males and females. Finally, both conduct problems and depressive symptoms at age 15 were also found to be associated with concurrent "self-medication" among females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Helping agency contact for emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence and the risk of later disorder.

Despite waning enthusiasm for labelling theories in the development of psychopathology, it has been claimed that contact with professional agencies in childhood can be associated with increased levels of later problem behaviour. In this study, help-seeking by parents for children with behaviour problems was examined using a birth cohort followed longitudinally to age 15 years. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that agency contact increased the risk of later mental health disorder, either in childhood or adolescence. Rather, the results suggested that help-seeking was associated with a reduction in both the risk of DSM-III disorder and problem behaviour scores, up to five years after agency contact.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Mental health disorders from age 15 to age 18 years.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the strength of association between mental health disorders in adolescence and disorder in early adulthood. METHOD: The study used mental health data from a longitudinal investigation of a New Zealand birth cohort. Of the 943 with prevalence data for DSM-III disorder at age 15, 890 had prevalence data for DSM-III-R disorder when aged 18 years. RESULTS: Two-thirds of those with disorder at age 15 had disorder at age 18. The residual form of attention deficit disorder, simple phobias, and oppositional disorders (with no other accompanying disorders) were associated with the lowest risk of later disorder and conduct disorder with the highest. With the exception of the overall symptom level, a variety of characteristics examined (e.g., social competence and adversity) could not differentiate between those with transient disorder and those with disorder at both ages. Comparisons of those with recurring disorder and those with new disorder at age 18 showed that in addition to characteristics of the disorder, disadvantage was strongly associated with recurrent disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of later disorder for those with disorder in adolescence was high and differed across type of disorder. Findings suggest that to reduce the risk of disorder in early adulthood, clinicians could play a more active role in community interventions with direct social outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A longitudinal study of reasons for smoking in adolescence.

This longitudinal study examined factors related to smoking at age 13 and to persistence of smoking from ages 13 to 15 years in a sample (n = 719) of New Zealand adolescents. History of smoking at 9 and 11 years predicted smoking at 13 (odds ratio = 2.8), persistence of smoking from age 13 to 15 (OR = 2.4) and smoking at 15 among those not smoking at age 13 (OR = 2.4). While there were no significant sex differences in pre-adolescent and early adolescent smoking, by age 15 more girls than boys reported smoking. A concern with the immediate negative effects of smoking (taste, smell, feeling ill and feeling silly) as a reason for not smoking at age 13 was inversely related to smoking at age 15 (OR = 0.4). Reasons for smoking at age 13 were not associated with later smoking. Family disadvantage and use of alcohol and other drugs were also associated with later adolescent smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Adolescence and sun protection.

AIM: to examine adolescents' sun behaviours and use of sun protection measures, attitudes to tanning, and awareness of melanoma, in the light of the Cancer Society's Sun-smart campaign in the summer of 1990-1. METHODS: a sample of 345 fourth formers from schools in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch was surveyed regarding their experiences and beliefs about tanning, and their use of sun protection measures including sunblock lotions, hats and clothing; their knowledge of melanoma and risks for melanoma; and their exposure to the educational campaign and its message. RESULTS: despite relatively high awareness of melanoma as a dangerous form of cancer, a significant proportion of the sample showed high positive attitudes towards tanning and high levels of sun exposure without adequate sun protection. On the positive side, reports of exposure to sources of information about melanoma were correlated with melanoma awareness, which in turn predicted use of sun protection measures. CONCLUSION: the findings suggest that campaigns such as those of the Cancer Society have an important role to play in reducing high levels of sun exposure among adolescents. Continued efforts need to be directed at adolescents to increase the acceptability and use of sun protection measures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Attention deficit disorder and age of onset of problem behaviors.

In the course of a prospective longitudinal study, we examined age of onset of behavior problems in a group of boys and girls identified with attention deficit disorder (ADD) at age 11. Onset occurred during the preschool years, by the first year of schooling, or by the end of the second year of school. Onset was strongly related to informant source at age 11, pattern of comorbidity of disorder at age 11, and developmental language, perceptual motor, and IQ measures. Onset by the first year of schooling was particularly related to poor reading skills. By age 15, nearly three-quarters of those with onset of problems before age 6 had one or more DSM-III disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

DSM-III disorders from age 11 to age 15 years.

Although research into the continuity of disorder from childhood to adolescence is sparse, results from both longitudinal and cross sectional studies suggest that the prevalence of disorder increases for girls but may remain more stable for boys. In this paper, the methodologies of two assessment phases of the Dunedin longitudinal study have been equated to estimate the continuity of DSM-III disorder from ages 11 to 15. Although the overall prevalence of disorder doubled between the ages, this was primarily because of an increase in nonaggressive conduct disorder and major depressive episode. The sex ratios in disorder had largely reversed from a male predominance at 11 to a female predominance at 15. In terms of persistence, over 40% of those with disorder at age 11 were also identified at age 15. However, over 80% of those identified with disorder at 15 did not have a history of disorder at 11. Significant sex differences were also found in the continuity of internalizing and externalizing disorders, with externalizing disorders showing more continuity for boys, and internalizing for girls. Logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the roles family background, academic and social competence, and early histories of behavior problems may play in the determination of disorder continuity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Sleep problems in adolescence.

A sample of 943 adolescents from the general population were questioned about sleep problems. A quarter of the sample reported needing a lot more sleep than they previously had, and 10% of the sample complained of difficulty falling asleep. Adolescents reporting sleep problems showed more anxious, depressed, inattentive, and conduct disorder behaviors than those who had no (or only occasional) sleep problems. Sleep problems, particularly multiple problems, were associated with DSM-III disorder. There were no significant differences between male and female adolescents on any of the above measures. Finally, sleep problems were relatively persistent over time from ages 13 to 15.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence and correlates of the premenstrual syndrome in adolescence.

In a longitudinal study of their health and development, 384 15-year-old females reported their experience of symptoms indicative of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The prevalence of these symptoms is reported and a group of adolescents is identified with the syndrome (14%). PMS was associated with current self-reported anxiety, inattention, and poor health. Preadolescent self-report and maternal ratings of physical and mental health did not significantly predict adolescent PMS. The results suggest that the experience of PMS in adolescence may be mediated by perceived health status; the roles of mental health and maternal influence in the development of adolescent PMS may be minimal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Tracking relative weight in subjects studied longitudinally from ages 3 to 13 years.

Heights and weights of a large sample of subjects studied longitudinally from ages 3 and 13 years were used to calculate relative weight, using a Body Mass Index score (BMI) which estimates adiposity. Males and females differed significantly in BMI scores only at ages 3 and 13 years. The correlations between BMI scores at all ages were positive and significant. The subjects were divided at each age into a 'light', an 'average' and a 'heavy' group based on the position of their BMI score relative to the 25th and 75th percentiles. Subjects were 'tracked' from ages 3, 7 and 11 years to determine whether they had remained in the same BMI group by age 13 years relative to their peers. Slightly fewer than half of the 3 year old subjects but the majority of 7 and 11 year old subjects remained in the same relative weight group by age 13 years. Only 1% of 7 and 11 year old subjects in the top and the bottom quartiles for BMI scores shifted from one extreme group to the other. Relative weight at 3, 7 and 11 years was more persistent for subjects with extreme bodyweights than subjects with bodyweights in the middle range. Consistent with the pattern of correlations, the tracking pattern for all 3 groups showed that subjects' BMI scores remained more stable as the subjects grew older.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Sources of distress among New Zealand adolescents.

This study examined sources of distress experienced by 15-year-old adolescents in a large sample from the general population. We identified four types of stressful life circumstances relating to problems of self-image and independence, academic and physical competence, parental conflict, and moving residence and schools. Girls reported higher levels of distress for the first three types of circumstance. Reports of distress were associated with poor family social support, maternal depression and parental separation. Both DSM-III disorder and poor social competence were associated with differential patterns of distress. Lastly, poor social competence and high distress were independent and additive predictors of mental health disorders.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Social competence in adolescence: preliminary findings from a longitudinal study of New Zealand 15-year-olds.

Recently, there has been an increase of research interest in the nature of the relationship between the concept of "competence" and mental health and disorder. For a large sample of adolescents studied at ages 11 and 15 years, we developed indices of social competence at each age based on measures of social attachment and involvement in activities. There was a significant association between competence and "externalizing" disorders at both ages. Competence was related to "internalizing" disorder only at age 11. Preadolescent social competence did not predict later disorder at age 15 in the sample as a whole. However, externalizing disorder at age 15 was predicted by presence of disorder together with low social competence in preadolescence.

Achievement↗
PubMed1991

A twelve-year follow-up of preschool hyperactive children.

Two percent (N = 21) of a large sample of preschool children were identified as "pervasively hyperactive." Compared with nonhyperactive preschoolers, these children more often came from families with high levels of adversity, and they showed poorer language skills. Over a 12-year follow-up period, the hyperactive preschoolers continued to show poorer cognitive skills, lower levels of reading ability, disruptive and inattentive behaviors at home and at school, and higher rates of DSM-III disorder in preadolescence and adolescence. By age 15, only one-quarter of this group were identified as having met "recovery" criteria. The findings point to the long-term adverse consequences of preschool hyperactivity and indicate the need for intervention with this type of disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Strict and inconsistent discipline in childhood: consequences for adolescent mental health.

Recent reviews have suggested an association between discipline experienced in childhood and the development of later psychopathology. As part of a longitudinal study of the health and development of a large sample of New Zealand children, maternal reports of strict and inconsistent discipline were obtained when the sample members were aged 7 and 9 years. It was found that inconsistency was associated with early behaviour problems, but strictness was not. At age 15 years the prevalence of DSM-III disorders in the sample was established. Univariate analyses showed significant associations between inconsistency and low levels of strictness with externalizing disorder. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that in the presence of other predictor variables including childhood problem behaviour, these associations only approached significance. However, when the two ratings were combined, rates of disorder for those who experienced more relaxed and inconsistent discipline were double the rates found in the sample remainder. No significant association was found between discipline and internalizing disorder.

Adaptation, Psychological↗