Do "Real World" Childhood Mental Health Services Reduce Risk for Adult Psychiatric Disorders?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study tested the "intervention as prevention" hypothesis: that treatment of childhood psychopathology in the community might reduce risk for adult psychopathology.

Method

Analyses were based on a prospective, population-based study of 1,420 children followed up to 8 times during childhood (ages 9-16 years; 6,674 observations) about psychiatric status and specialty mental health services use. Participants were followed up 4 times in adulthood (ages 19, 21, 25, and 30 years; 4,556 observations of 1,336 participants) to assess adult psychopathology.

Results

Participants with a childhood psychiatric disorder who used childhood specialty mental health services were at similar risk for adult emotional (odds ratio [OR] = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.3-1.4, p = .29) disorde

SUBMITTER: Copeland WE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9294070 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature