Jean-Pierre Valla

Quebec child mental health survey: prevalence of DSM-III-R mental health disorders.

The Quebec Child Mental Health Survey (QCMHS) was conducted in 1992 on a representative sample of 2400 children and adolescents aged 6 to 14 years from throughout Quebec. Prevalences of nine Axis-I DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) mental health disorders were calculated based on each informant (for 6-11-year-olds: child, parent, and teacher; for 12-14-year-olds: child and parent). Informant parallelism allows the classification of results of the demographic variables associated with disorders in the logistic regression models. This strategy applies to group variables (correlates of disorders) whereas informant agreement applies to individual diagnoses. Informant parallelism implies that results for two informants or more are in the same direction and significant. In the QCMHS, informant parallelism exists for disruptive disorders, i.e. in two ADHD regression models (child and parent) higher rates among boys and young children, and in three oppositional/conduct disorders regression models (child, parent, and teacher) higher rates among boys. No informant parallelism is observed in the logistic regression models for internalizing disorders, i.e. the patterns of association of demographic variables with anxiety and depressive disorders vary across informants. Urban-rural residence does not emerge as a significant variable in any of the logistic regression models. The overall 6-month prevalences reach 19.9% according to the parent and 15.8% according to the child. The implications of the results for policy makers and clinicians are discussed.

The Dominic-R: A Pictorial Interview for 6- to 11-Year-Old Children

OBJECTIVE To review the Dominic-R and the Terry questionnaires, respectively, for white and African-American children, both DSM-III-R-based, and more recent DSM-IV-based computerized versions. METHOD Five papers describing the development, content, validation studies, and establishment of the diagnostic cutpoints of these instruments are reviewed. The instruments are pictorial, fully structured, and designed to assess mental disorders in children 6 to 11 years of age. Symptom descriptions complement the visual stimulus, providing better information-processing than visual or auditory stimuli alone. Cognitive immaturity of young children bars frequency, duration, and age-of-onset measurements, restricting correspondence with DSM criteria. DSM-IV (computerized versions) and DSM-III-R (paper versions) disorders being assessed include specific (simple) phobias, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety (overanxious), depression/dysthymia, attention-deficit hyperactivity, oppositional defiant, and conduct disorder. RESULTS Test-retest reliability of symptoms and symptom scores and criterion validity against clinical judgment support the visual-auditory combination of stimuli to assess child mental health. CONCLUSION Intended for clinical, epidemiological, and screening purposes, these instruments are short and simple. Although it only approximates DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria, the pictorial format permits young children to be reliable informants about their mental health.

Do Children Aged 9 through 11 Years Understand the DISC Version 2.25 Questions

OBJECTIVE To assess the understanding of Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Version 2.25 (DISC-2.25) questions by children aged 9 through 11 years. METHOD Two hundred forty children were recruited from four public schools. The cognitive appraisal of 280 questions from the most prevalent DSM-III-R diagnoses was evaluated. The collaboration of four children was necessary to cover one DISC. Sixty DISCs, evenly distributed according to age and sex, were completed. Two child psychiatrists evaluated the childrens answers. Nonparametric tests were used to assess understanding of questions as a whole, of time concepts (overall, categories, number), and of questions based on the number of words. RESULTS Children aged 9, 10, and 11 years understood 38%, 38%, and 42% of the questions as a whole, respectively, and 26%, 24%, and 30% of the overall time concepts, respectively. The understanding rates of questions as a whole were significantly higher than those of overall time concepts. Durations were significantly better understood than periods and frequencies, and questions having one time component were significantly better grasped than those with two or more. Shorter questions were significantly better understood than longer ones. CONCLUSION Although the DISC has been greatly improved since the initial version, the results suggest that additional revision is needed before clinicians or researchers use the DISC with younger children.

Industrial disaster and mental health of children and their parents

OBJECTIVE We report the findings of research conducted a year after an industrial disaster (PCB fire), which occurred on Montreals South Shore in 1988. A total of 1,663 families were evacuated for a period of 18 days. The study evaluated 174 children between the ages of three and eleven years: 87 in the exposed group and 87 in the control sample. METHOD Structured questionnaires were administered to the children and their mothers and fathers during home visits. RESULTS Based on the responses of the children and the mothers, children aged 6 to 11 years displayed more overall internalized and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than did those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that the mental health of fathers as well as mothers correlates with childrens symptoms and that parents are able to accurately observe their childs reaction to a disaster.

Correlates of Mental Disorders in the Quebec General Population of 6 to 14-Year Olds

Previous epidemiological studies of correlates of child and adolescent mental disorders in the general population have focused more on child/adolescent and socioeconomic/sociodemographic characteristics than on family characteristics. Moreover, there are no generally accepted methods to analyze and interpret correlates. The purpose of the Quebec Child Mental Health Survey in this regard was twofold: (1) to identify correlates of DSM-III-R internalizing and externalizing disorders according to informant (youth, parent, teacher), for three age groups (6–8, 9–11, and 12–14 years), including relevant family characteristics not considered in previous studies; and (2) to interpret the relative importance of risk indicators by ranking correlates according to strength and consistency of association across age groups. Logistic regression models suggest the inconsistency of correlates across informants. The ranking of correlates reveals that individual and family characteristics make a more important contribution than do socioeconomic characteristics, thereby supporting the relevance of proximal variables in the development of psychopathology.

Psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive in a large French sample.

Objectives: To examine the psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive (DI) in school-aged children in a different cultural environment than Quebec. Methods: In a large French region, 100 schools and 25 children (aged 6 to 11 years) per school were randomly selected. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires to children (DI), parents (sociodemographic characteristics, mental health services use), and teachers (child school achievement). DI psychometric properties were assessed by examining: the distribution of each DI diagnosis; comorbidity between diagnoses; alpha cœfficients measuring internal consistency; and correlates of psychopathologies with sociodemographic status and health care services use. Estimates of DI properties were compared with those from a sample of community children in Quebec. Results: Complete data were available for 1274 children (54.4%). The internal consistency of each DI diagnosis of the French version was reasonable, with Cronbachs alpha cœfficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.89. The psychometric properties and comorbidity were consistent with the version from Quebec. Conclusions: The satisfactory psychometric properties of the DI along with other demonstrated advantages of this instrument (children enjoy the activity, parents approve of it, and it is cost-effective) and its cultural adaptability support the consideration of the DI for epidemiologic studies in diverse cultures.

Reliability of the Terry: A Mental Health Cartoon-Like Screener for African-American Children

AbstractTest-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Terry, a cartoon-based child mental health screener developed for African-American children, were measured in 36 boys (age 5

Psychiatric epidemiology in Quebec : an overview

{\raise0.7ex\hbox{

Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-2.25) in Quebec: Reliability Findings in Light of the MECA Study

1