ARTICLES
Voice-DISC Identified DSM-IV Disorders Among 15-Year-Olds in the West of Scotland

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ABSTRACT

Objective

To report prevalence estimates of psychiatric disorder among Scottish adolescents using a self-administered computerized (Voice) version of the DISC.

Method

A total of 1,860 15-year-olds (67%), participating in a school-based survey of health and lifestyles, completed selected modules of the Voice-DISC, producing DSM-IV diagnoses of (specific) anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depressive/dysthymic disorder, behavior disorders, and substance abuse/dependence.

Results

Overall prevalence of any psychiatric diagnosis, including substance abuse/dependence, was 31%, reducing to 15% with strict impairment criteria. Anxiety disorders were more common in females, behavior disorders (except attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in males. Comorbidity within major diagnostic categories was considerable; that between categories was lower, although high comorbidity between conduct disorder and substance abuse/dependence was found.

Conclusions

Prevalence estimates are similar to those reported in other studies, although methodological problems limit comparisons. Of particular interest are the similar or higher rates of behavior disorders, especially conduct disorders, to those in studies involving multiple informants.

Section snippets

Background and Sample

Data are from the West of Scotland 11 to 16 Study, hereafter referred to as the “11 to 16 Study” (West and Sweeting, 1996). This is a longitudinal, school-based survey of health and lifestyles in a cohort of young people resident in the West of Scotland. They were first surveyed at the age of 11 years in their final year of primary school (1994) and followed up in secondary schools at the ages of 13 years (1996) and 15 years (1999); the principal method of data collection was self-complete

Prevalence (Without Impairment)

Table 1 shows the prevalence of diagnoses by sex. Minor fluctuations in denominators are due to rounding during the weighting process.

Anxiety disorders (9.2%) were the most prevalent emotional disorders, affecting significantly more females than males, a difference apparent for all specific anxiety diagnoses. Eating disorders were rare (two female respondents). Depressive disorder (2.3%), primarily major depressive disorder, was also more likely among females, though not significantly so. ADHD

DISCUSSION

The 11 to 16 Study is the first major study to provide prevalence estimates of psychiatric disorder in a large sample of adolescents using a self-administered, computerized (Voice) version of the DISC. Based on symptoms alone, 1 in 5 adolescents met DSM-IV criteria for a psychiatric disorder, rising to almost 1 in 3 with the inclusion of substance abuse/dependence. The addition of impairment reduced the prevalence of any disorder (less substance) by about one fourth, and strict impairment

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  • Cited by (0)

    The authors acknowledge the support of Michael van Beinum, Barbara Maughan, and Lynn Lucas, and the Office of National Statistics and UK Data Archive for permission to use the “Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Great Britain 1999” (Project PA 343) data set. Prof. West, Dr. Sweeting, and Mr. Der are supported financially by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain.

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