Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T05:04:49.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Secular trends in the mental health of primary school children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Paul McArdle ,
Jonathan Prosser ,
Heather Dickinson  and
Israel Kolvin
Paul McArdle
Affiliation:
Fleming Nuffield Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3AE, England
Jonathan Prosser
Affiliation:
The Osborn Centre, Fareham, England
Heather Dickinson
Affiliation:
School of Population and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Israel Kolvin
Affiliation:
Tavistock Centre 1 20 Belsize Lane NW3 5BA, England
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Over the recent past, reports have argued that there has been a decline in the mental health of children and young people in Western societies. This is said to have occurred gradually over the second half of the last century and possibly longer. This view is based on evidence of a progressively declining peak age for adult type depressive disorders, and an apparent increase in adolescent disturbance such as substance abuse, attempted and completed suicide, perhaps eating disorders, and behaviour disorders. These phenomena have been attributed to the major changes in social values and behaviour, with their impact on child rearing and family life that gathered pace over the course of the last century.

Type
Brief reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 2003 , pp. 56 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Prosser, J, McArdle, P. Secular trends in childhood mental disorder: a review. Psychological Medicine 1996; 26: 715–725.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Smith, D, Rutter, M. Time trends in psychosocial disorders of youth. In: Rutter, M, Smith, D (eds). Psychosocial Disorders in Young People. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1995.Google Scholar
3.Klerman, G. The current age of youthful melancholia. Evidence for increase in depression among adolescents and young adults. Br J Psychiatry 1988; 152:4–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Murphy, J, Laird, N, Monson, R, Sobol, A, Leighton, A. A 40-year perspective on the prevalence of depression: the Stirling County Study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000; 57(3): 209–217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.McArdle, P, Wiegersma, A, Gilvarry, Eet al.Family structure and function and youth drug use. Addiction 2002; 97: 329–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Parker, H, Aldridge, J, Measham, F. Illegal Leisure. The normalisation of adolescent recreational drug use. London: Routledge, 1998.Google Scholar
7.Diekstra, R, Kienhorst, C, Wilde, E. Suicide and suicidal behaviour among adolescents. In: Rutter, M, Smith, D (eds). Psychosocial disorders in young people: time trends and their causes. Chichester: Wiley, 1995Google Scholar
8.Fombonne, E. Eating disorders: time trends and possible explanatory mechanisms. In: Rutter, M, Smith, D (eds), Psychosocial Disorders in Young People: time trends and their causes. Chichester: Wiley, 1995.Google Scholar
9.Achenbach, TM, Howell, CT. (1993) Are American children's problems getting worse? A 13 year comparison. J Am Acad Child Adol Psychiatry 1993; 32(6).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Smith, D. Living conditions in the 20th century. Smith D. Youth crime and conduct disorders: trends, patterns and causal explanation. In: Rutter, M, Smith, D (eds). Psychosocial Disorders in Young People – Time Trends and Their Causes. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons, 1995.Google Scholar
11.Rutter, M, Smith, D. Toward causal explanations of time trends in psychosocial disorders of young people. In: Rutter, M, Smith, D (eds). Psychosocial Disorders in Young People: time trends and their causes. Chichester: Wiley, 1995Google Scholar
12.Fukuyama, F. The Great Disruption. Human nature and the reconstitution of social order. London. Profile Books Ltd. 1999Google Scholar
13.Kolvin, I, Garside, R, Nicol, A, Leitch, I, Macmillan, A. Screening children for high risk of emotional and educational disorder. Br J Psychiatry 1977; 131: 192–206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council. City Profiles: results from the 1991 census. Research section, Newcastle upon Tyne Chief Executive's Department, 1993Google Scholar
15.Davis, A. Liveable streets and perceived accident risk: quality-of-life issues for residents and vulnerable road-users. Traffic Engineering and Control 1992; 33(6): 374–379.Google Scholar
16.Rutter, M. A children's behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers: preliminary findings. J Child Psychology Psychiatry 1967; 8: 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Young, D. Manual for the Group Reading Test. London: University of London Press, 1968Google Scholar
18.Macmillan, A, Walker, L, Garside, R, Kolvin, I, Leitch, I, Nicol, A. The development and application of sociometric techniques for the identification of isolated and rejected children. J Assoc Workers with the Maladjusted Child 1978; 6: 58–74.Google Scholar
19.McArdle, P, O' Brien, G, Kolvin, I. Hyperactivity: Prevalence and relationship with conduct disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1995; 36(2): 279–305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Barkley, R. ADHD and the Nature of self-control. London. The Guildford Press, 1997Google Scholar
21.Landgren, M, Kjellman, B, Gillberg, C. Attention deficit disorder with developmental coordination disorders. Arch Dis Childhood 1998; 79(3): 207–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Moffitt, TE, Caspt, A. Childhood predictors differentiate life-course persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial pathways among males and females. Development & Psychopathology 2001; 13(2): 355–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Martin, N, Scourfield, J, McGuffin, P. Observer effects and heritability of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Br J Psychiatry 2002; 180: 260–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Jacobson, K, Prescott, C, Neale, M, Kendler, S. Cohort differences in genetic and environmental influences on retrospective reports of conduct disorder among adult male twins. Psychological Medicine 2000; 30(4): 775–787.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.McArdle, P, O' Brien, G, Kolvin, I. The peer relations of children with hyperactivity and conduct disorder. Eur J Child Adolescent Psychiatry 2000; 9(2): 91–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Cole, D, Martin, J, Powers, B. A competency-based model of child depression: a longitudinal study of peer, parent, teacher, and self-evaluations. J Child Psychiatry Psychology 1997; 38(5): 505–514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Sroufe, LA. Emotional Development. The organisation of emotional development in the early years. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995: 227–227.Google Scholar
28.Anonymous. Child care and children's peer interaction at 24 and 36 months: the NICHD study of early child care. Child Development 2001; 72(5): 1478–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29.Deater-Deckard, K, Pinkerton, R, Scarr, S. Child care quality and children's behavioral adjustment: a four-year longitudinal study. J Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines 1996; 37(8): 937–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30.Caspi, A, Taylor, A, Moffitt, T, Plomin, R. Neighborhood deprivation affects children's mental health: environmental risks identified in a genetic design. Psychological Science 2000; 11(4): 338–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Rutter, M, Tizard, J, Whitmore, K. Education, Health and Behaviour. London: Longmans, 1970.Google Scholar
32.Taylor, E, Sandberg, S, Thorley, G, Giles, S. The epidemiology of childhood hyperactivity. Maudsley Monographs number 33. Oxford University Press, 1991.Google Scholar
33.Cowen, E, Pederson, A, Babigian, H, Izzo, L, Trost, M. Long term follow up of early detected vulnerable children. J Consult Clin Psychology 1973; 41: 438–446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed