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Factors associated with reported childhood depressive symptoms at age 8 and later self-reported depressive symptoms among boys at age 18

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Abstract

Aims

This study aimed to study conditions associated with depressive symptoms at ages 8 and 18 in a representative birth cohort of Finnish males.

Methods

The participants in this community-based 10-year follow-up study consisted of 2,348 boys born in 1981. At age 8, three informant sources were used: parents, teachers, and the children themselves. Depressive symptoms were established using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). At age 18, self-report questionnaires were used to study the boys’ family factors, life events, adaptive functioning, and substance use. Depressive symptoms at age 18 were established using Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results

Poor adaptive functioning at age 18 was independently associated with both child and late adolescent depressive symptoms. Use of illicit drugs and somatic health problems were independently associated with later depressive symptoms. Parental divorce in early childhood independently predicted depressive symptoms both in childhood and in late adolescence. Teacher reports of child’s total problems at age 8 independently predicted depressive symptoms at age 18.

Conclusions

Depression in males at ages 8 and 18 is particularly associated with stressful life events in childhood, whereas late depression is associated with somatic health problems and substance use. Further population-based studies comparing conditions associated with childhood and adolescent depression are needed.

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Acknowledgments

The Child Psychiatric Research Foundation of Finland, the Finnish Paediatric Research, the Finnish Scientific Advisory Board for Defence, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, and the University of Turku Foundation supported this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsö, Norway

    John A. Rønning & Andre Sourander

  2. University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsö, Norway

    John A. Rønning

  3. Child Welfare and School Healthcare Clinic, Joint Authority of Health Work in Rauma Region, Rauma, Finland

    Antti Haavisto

  4. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Georgios Nikolakaros

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Turku University, Turku, Finland

    Hans Helenius

  6. Department of Child Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    Tuula Tamminen

  7. Department of Child Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

    Irma Moilanen

  8. Department of Child Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    Kirsti Kumpulainen

  9. Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Jorma Piha & Andre Sourander

  10. Department of Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Fredrik Almqvist

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  1. John A. Rønning
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  2. Antti Haavisto
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  4. Hans Helenius
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  10. Andre Sourander
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Correspondence to Andre Sourander.

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Rønning, J.A., Haavisto, A., Nikolakaros, G. et al. Factors associated with reported childhood depressive symptoms at age 8 and later self-reported depressive symptoms among boys at age 18. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 207–218 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0182-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0182-6

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