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Changes in the Prevalence of Child and Youth Mental Disorders and Perceived Need for Professional Help between 1983 and 2014: Evidence from the Ontario Child Health Study
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
  • Jinette Comeau, King's University College at Western University Canada
  • Katholiki Georgiades, McMaster University
  • Laura Duncan, McMaster University
  • Laura Duncan, McMaster University
  • Li Wang, McMaster University
  • Michael H. Boyle, McMaster University
  • Michael H. Boyle, McMaster University
  • Tracie O. Afifi, University of Manitoba
  • William R. Avison, Western University
  • Graham Reid, Western University
  • Kathryn Bennett, McMaster University
  • Terry Bennett, McMaster University
  • Khrista Boylan, McMaster University
  • Michelle Butt, McMaster University
  • Charles Cunningham, McMaster University
  • Eric Duku, McMaster University
  • Jim Dunn, McMaster University
  • Katholiki Georgiades, McMaster University
  • Stelios Georgiades, McMaster University
  • Andrea Gonzalez, McMaster University
  • Geoffrey Hall, McMaster University
  • Magdalena Janus, McMaster University
  • Melissa Kimber, McMaster University
  • Ellen Lipman, McMaster University
  • Harriet MacMillan, McMaster University
  • Peter Rosenbaum, McMaster University
  • Roberto Sassi, McMaster University
  • Louis Schmidt, McMaster University
  • Noam Soreni, McMaster University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2019
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1177/0706743719830035
Abstract

Objectives: To examine: 1) changes in the prevalence of mental disorders and perceived need for professional help among children (ages 4 to 11) and youth (ages 12 to 16) between 1983 and 2014 in Ontario and 2) whether these changes vary by age and sex, urban-rural residency, poverty, lone-parent status, and immigrant background. Methods: The 1983 (n = 2836) and 2014 (n = 5785) Ontario Child Health Studies are provincially representative cross-sectional surveys with identical self-report checklist measures of conduct disorder, hyperactivity, and emotional disorder, as well as perceived need for professional help, assessed by integrating parent and teacher responses (ages 4 to 11) and parent and youth responses (ages 12 to 16). Results: The overall prevalence of perceived need for professional help increased from 6.8% to 18.9% among 4- to 16-year-olds. An increase in any disorder among children (15.4% to 19.6%) was attributable to increases in hyperactivity among males (8.9% to 15.7%). Although the prevalence of any disorder did not change among youth, conduct disorder decreased (7.2% to 2.5%) while emotional disorder increased (9.2% to 13.2%). The prevalence of any disorder increased more in rural and small to medium urban areas versus large urban areas. The prevalence of any disorder decreased for children and youth in immigrant but not nonimmigrant families. Conclusions: Although there have been decreases in the prevalence of conduct disorder, increases in other mental disorders and perceived need for professional help underscore the continued need for effective prevention and intervention programs.

Citation Information
Jinette Comeau, Katholiki Georgiades, Laura Duncan, Laura Duncan, et al.. "Changes in the Prevalence of Child and Youth Mental Disorders and Perceived Need for Professional Help between 1983 and 2014: Evidence from the Ontario Child Health Study" Canadian Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 64 Iss. 4 (2019) p. 256 - 264
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/graham-reid/8/