ERIC Number: EJ935868
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Aug
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1557-1874
EISSN: N/A
Estimating the Prevalence of Anxiety and Mood Disorders in an Adolescent General Population: An Evaluation of the GHQ12
Mann, Robert E.; Paglia-Boak, Angela; Adlaf, Edward M.; Beitchman, Joseph; Wolfe, David; Wekerle, Christine; Hamilton, Hayley A.; Rehm, Jurgen
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, v9 n4 p410-420 Aug 2011
Anxiety and mood disorders (AMD) may be more common among adolescents than previously thought, and epidemiological research would benefit from an easily-administered measure of AMD. We assessed the ability of the GHQ12 to estimate the prevalence of AMD in a representative sample of Ontario adolescents. Data were based on self-administered questionnaires from 3,311 students in grades 7 through 12 derived from the 2007 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. The GHQ12 showed good ability to identify probable AMD (AUC = 0.80). A threshold value of 5 appeared optimal, and based on this threshold value, the estimated prevalence of AMD in Ontario students in grades 7-12 may be 19%. Observations that individuals with a self-reported history of family disruption, substance use, gambling problems, bullying victimization, and who reported seeking professional help for a mental health problem were significantly more likely to experience probable AMD provided additional validity.
Descriptors: Drug Use, Adolescents, Foreign Countries, Mental Disorders, Anxiety, Depression (Psychology), Incidence, Questionnaires, Measures (Individuals), Addictive Behavior, Help Seeking, Bullying, Family Relationship, Substance Abuse, Validity, Secondary School Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A