Helena R. Slobodskaya

Russian child mental health A cross-sectional study of prevalence and risk factors

BackgroundThe fall of communism and subsequent economic crises have been followed by major social and health problems. High rates of child mental health problems are frequently cited by the Russian media, though there is little relevant evidence.AimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associations of child mental health problems in Russia using internationally recognised measures and diagnostic systems.MethodA two-stage, two-phase cross-sectional survey of the mental health of 7- to 14-year-olds involved random sampling of schools, followed by random sampling of pupils from school lists. A sample of 448 children was obtained, representing an 83% participation rate. In the first phase, screening measures of psychopathology and risk were administered to parents, teachers and 11- to 14-year-olds. In the second phase, more detailed psychiatric assessments were carried out for subgroups of screen-positive and screen-negative children (N=172).ResultsThe prevalence of psychiatric disorder was about 70% higher than that recently found in Britain with comparable measures, but there were few differences between Britain and Russia in type of disorder or key risk factors.ConclusionThere is a pressing need for evidence-based mental health treatments to be made widely available to Russian children and adolescents.

Psychophysiological correlates of behavioural inhibition and activation

Abstract Psychophysiological arousal measures were investigated in relation to scores on behavioural inhibition and activation scales derived from the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ). Ss were 63 psychology students, aged 18–37, whose skin conductance (SC) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and during a 2-min mental arithmetic task. EEG was recorded in a resting state. The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were also administered. Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) scores [along with Neuroticism (N) and Trait Anxiety (TA)] were related to high beta and gamma EEG activity in frontal areas and low delta and theta activity in temporal, parietal and left frontal areas. Behavioural Activation System (BAS) scores were related to high delta and theta activity in parietal areas and were negatively related to respiratory sinus arrhythmia and HR acceleration during mental arithmetic. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that behavioural activation is associated with autonomic and cortical underarousal while behavioural inhibition is associated with high cortical arousal, especially in the right hemisphere.

The hierarchical structure of childhood personality in five countries: continuity from early childhood to early adolescence.

Childhood personality is a rapidly growing area of investigation within individual differences research. One understudied topic is the universality of the hierarchical structure of childhood personality. In the present investigation, parents rated the personality characteristics of 3,751 children from 5 countries and 4 age groups. The hierarchical structure of childhood personality was examined for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-factor models across country (Canada, China, Greece, Russia, and the United States) and age group (3-5, 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14 years of age). Many similarities were noted across both country and age. The Five-Factor Model was salient beginning in early childhood (ages 3-5). Deviations across groups and from adult findings are noted, including the prominent role of antagonism in childhood personality and the high covariation between Conscientiousness and intellect. Future directions, including the need for more explicit attempts to merge temperament and personality models, are discussed.

Cross-national differences in questionnaires do not necessarily reflect comparable differences in disorder prevalence.

PurposeTo examine whether the widely used Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) can validly be used to compare the prevalence of child mental health problems cross nationally.MethodsWe used data on 29,225 5- to 16-year olds in eight population-based studies from seven countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, India, Norway, Russia and Yemen. Parents completed the SDQ in all eight studies, teachers in seven studies and youth in five studies. We used these SDQ data to calculate three different sorts of “caseness indicators” based on (1) SDQ symptoms, (2) SDQ symptoms plus impact and (3) an overall respondent judgement of ‘definite’ or ‘severe’ difficulties. Respondents also completed structured diagnostic interviews including extensive open-ended questions (the Development and Well-Being Assessment, DAWBA). Diagnostic ratings were all carried out or supervised by the DAWBA’s creator, working in conjunction with experienced local professionals.ResultsAs judged by the DAWBA, the prevalence of any mental disorder ranged from 2.2% in India to 17.1% in Russia. The nine SDQ caseness indicators (three indicators times three informants) explained 8–56% of the cross-national variation in disorder prevalence. This was insufficient to make meaningful prevalence estimates since populations with a similar measured prevalence of disorder on the DAWBA showed large variations across the various SDQ caseness indicators.ConclusionsThe relationship between SDQ caseness indicators and disorder rates varies substantially between populations: cross-national differences in SDQ indicators do not necessarily reflect comparable differences in disorder rates. More generally, considerable caution is required when interpreting cross-cultural comparisons of mental health, particularly when these rely on brief questionnaires.

Personality, psychopathology and brain oscillations

Abstract The associations among personality and psychopathology scores and individually adjusted EEG spectral power measures were investigated in 195 Ss aged 7 to 37 years. Personality was assessed in Ss older than 11 years by questionnaires based on Eysencks and Grays models. Psychopathology was measured in children aged 7–17 years by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) completed by teachers, parents and children older than 11 years. EEG was recorded in a resting state. Absolute and relative spectral powers were calculated for individually adjusted delta, theta, and alpha bands. In order to test Robinsons theory ( Robinson, 2001 ), which states that the thalamocortical “alpha” system exerts an inhibitory effect over the brainstem “delta” system and that the strength of this inhibition relates to personality, Robinsons analysis of averaged evoked potentials (AEP) was replicated on spontaneous EEG measures and an “Inhibition” score extracted. Extraversion, Behavioural Activation, and Conduct Problems were positively related to delta, and negatively related to alpha power and “Inhibition”. Neuroticism, Behavioural Inhibition, and Emotional Symptoms showed an opposite pattern of correlations, being positively related to alpha and “Inhibition”, and negatively related to delta power. These relationships generally support Robinsons theory.

Cross-Informant Symptoms from CBCL, TRF, and YSR : Trait and Method Variance in a Normative Sample of Russian Youths.

A large community-based sample of Russian youths (n = 841, age M = 13.17 years, SD = 2.51) was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (mothers and fathers separately), Teachers Report Form, and Youth Self-Report. The multiple indicator-version of the correlated trait-correlated method minus one, or CT-C(M - 1), model was applied to analyze (a) the convergent and divergent validity of these instruments in Russia, (b) the degree of trait-specificity of rater biases, and (c) potential predictors of rater-specific effects. As expected, based on the published results from different countries and in different languages, the convergent validity of the instruments was rather high between mother and father reports, but rather low for parent, teacher, and self-reports. For self- and teacher reports, rater-specific effects were related to age and gender of the children for some traits. These results, once again, attest to the importance of incorporating information from multiple observers when psychopathological traits are evaluated in children and adolescents.

Cross-cultural differences in temperament in the first year of life: United States of America (US) and Russia

Cross-cultural differences in temperament were evaluated for Russian (N = 90) and US (N = 90) samples of infants. Significant differences in levels of temperament characteristics, and the structure of temperament, were anticipated. Age and gender differences evaluated for the Russian sample were expected to be consistent with those reported for US infants. The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, a recently developed parent-report assessment tool, was utilised with both samples. Differences between these cultures were evaluated for 14 dimensions of temperament: activity level, smiling/laughter, fear, distress to limitations, duration of orienting, soothability, vocal reactivity, high and low intensity pleasure, falling reactivity, affiliation/cuddliness, perceptual sensitivity, sadness, and approach. Significant differences between Russian and US infants emerged for six of the IBQ-R scales. Parents of infants in the US reported higher levels of smiling/laughter, high and low intensity pleasure, perceptual sensitivity, and vocal reactivity, whereas Russian infants’ scores were higher for distress to limitations. Correlation matrix comparison procedure and exploratory factor analysis indicated differences in the structure of temperament for the two cultural groups. Age differences observed for the Russian infants were generally consistent with those reported for a US sample; gender differences did not emerge in this study.

Child Personality in Slovenia and Russia Structure and Mean Level of Traits in Parent and Self-Ratings

The present study compares structure, mean trait levels, and development of child personality in Slovenia and Russia, using parent and self-reports on the Inventory of Child Individual Differences. Evidence for the Five Factor Model of child and adolescent personality structure is demonstrated across age groups, genders, and countries. In comparison with Russians, Slovenian children are rated higher on Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness. Some of the differences are observed even among toddlers, and these differences increase over age, suggesting that they do not arise solely in the process of socialization. Cultural differences are more pronounced for parent reports than for adolescent self-reports, suggesting that a part of these differences may reflect cultural influences on parent ratings.

Reactions of Russian adolescents to reward and punishment: a cross-cultural study of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire

A translated, shortened version of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire was administered, along with an abbreviated adult Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, to 251 Russian schoolchildren aged 14–16 years. Girls were significantly higher than boys on passive avoidance, flight, and N, suggesting higher levels of anxiety/emotionality. In accord with British and Japanese results, principal component analysis of individual items largely failed to identify the six theoretical animal learning paradigms on which the GWPQ was constructed. Nor did intercorrelations among scale scores support the a priori three-dimensional structure of the test; instead there was evidence for two major systems underlying reactions to reward and punishment: Inhibition, with strong loadings on passive avoidance, extinction and flight, and Activation, with positive loadings on fight and approach and a negative loading on active avoidance. Correlations with Rutter Teacher scores, the Child Behaviour Checklist and Youth Self-Report are also presented and discussed. As predicted, anxiety and emotional problems were associated with Inhibition, while conduct disorder and attention deficits were associated with Activation. Multiple regression analysis showed that GWPQ scores were superior to scores on this version of the EPQ as predictors of teacher ratings and added significant predictive power to parent and self-report measures of adolescent adjustment.

Development of a short form of the Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire: its use in measuring personality and adjustment among Russian adolescents

Abstract The development of a short form of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ-S) is described. On the basis of earlier, cross-cultural factor analyses of the original 120 items and 6 subscales it was decided to reduce the test to two major scales, the behavioural activation system (BAS) and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS). Although these bear similarity to the familiar factors of impulsiveness and anxiety, they differ in being derived from a pool of items specifically designed to tap human equivalents of the animal learning paradigms central to Grays personality theory (approach, active avoidance, passive avoidance, extinction, fight and flight). Item reduction was based on factor loadings from a new sample of 454 Russian adolescents and correlations with previously validated criteria—teacher, parent and self-ratings of conduct and emotional problems. Despite the additional constraint of balanced direction of scoring (an advantage over previous BAS/BIS Scales), satisfactory internal consistency was achieved with a 28 item test (alphas of 0.67 and 0.64).