Kristin Göbel1,2, Caroline Cohrdes3. 1. Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Mental Health Unit, Robert Koch Institute, General-Pape-Straße 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Germany. Kristin.Goebel@fu-berlin.de. 2. Department of Educational Science and Psychology, Division of Developmental Science and Applied Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany. Kristin.Goebel@fu-berlin.de. 3. Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Mental Health Unit, Robert Koch Institute, General-Pape-Straße 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The exposure to an accumulation of various risk factors during childhood and adolescence relative to a single risk is associated with poorer mental health. Identification of distinct constellations of risk factors is an essential step towards the development of effective prevention strategies of mental disorders. A Latent class analysis (LCA) extracts different combinations of risk factors or subgroups and examines the association between profiles of multiple risk and mental health outcomes. METHODS: The current study used longitudinal survey data (KiGGS) of 10,853 German children, adolescents and young adults. The LCA included 27 robust risk and protective factors across multiple domains for mental health. RESULTS: The LCA identified four subgroups of individuals with different risk profiles: a basic-risk (51.4%), high-risk (23.4%), parental-risk (11.8%) and social-risk class (13.4%). Multiple risk factors of the family domain, in particular family instability were associated with negative mental health outcomes (e.g. mental health problems, depression, ADHD) and predominately comprised late adolescent girls. The social environment represented a more common risk domain for young males. CONCLUSION: The understanding of multiple risk and different risk "profiles" helps to understand and adjust targeted interventions with a focus on vulnerable groups.
BACKGROUND: The exposure to an accumulation of various risk factors during childhood and adolescence relative to a single risk is associated with poorer mental health. Identification of distinct constellations of risk factors is an essential step towards the development of effective prevention strategies of mental disorders. A Latent class analysis (LCA) extracts different combinations of risk factors or subgroups and examines the association between profiles of multiple risk and mental health outcomes. METHODS: The current study used longitudinal survey data (KiGGS) of 10,853 German children, adolescents and young adults. The LCA included 27 robust risk and protective factors across multiple domains for mental health. RESULTS: The LCA identified four subgroups of individuals with different risk profiles: a basic-risk (51.4%), high-risk (23.4%), parental-risk (11.8%) and social-risk class (13.4%). Multiple risk factors of the family domain, in particular family instability were associated with negative mental health outcomes (e.g. mental health problems, depression, ADHD) and predominately comprised late adolescent girls. The social environment represented a more common risk domain for young males. CONCLUSION: The understanding of multiple risk and different risk "profiles" helps to understand and adjust targeted interventions with a focus on vulnerable groups.
Authors: Guilherme Polanczyk; Maurício Silva de Lima; Bernardo Lessa Horta; Joseph Biederman; Luis Augusto Rohde Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2007-06 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Stéphanie Foulon; Jean-Baptiste Pingault; Béatrice Larroque; Maria Melchior; Bruno Falissard; Sylvana M Côté Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-05-04 Impact factor: 3.240