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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 12/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Original Paper

Prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems and subthreshold psychiatric disorders in Austrian adolescents and the need for prevention

Authors: Julia Philipp, Michael Zeiler, Karin Waldherr, Stefanie Truttmann, Wolfgang Dür, Andreas F. K. Karwautz, Gudrun Wagner

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 12/2018

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Abstract

Purpose

Epidemiological data are crucial to plan adequate prevention strategies. Thus, this study aims at obtaining the prevalence of mental health problems (MHP) and subthreshold psychiatric disorders based on a representative sample of Austrian adolescents.

Methods

Adolescents aged 10–18 were recruited from Austrian schools. Emotional and behavioral problems were determined using the Youth Self-Report (YSR); the point prevalence of subthreshold psychiatric disorders was assessed using structured diagnostic interviews. Sociodemographic variables including socioeconomic background, migration status, family structure, and place of residence were obtained. In addition, a non-school sample (unemployed adolescents, and child and adolescent psychiatry patients) was included to enhance representativeness and generalizability.

Results

3446 students, 37 unemployed adolescents, and 125 child and adolescent psychiatric patients provided analyzable YSR data sets. In the school sample, 16.5% scored in the clinically relevant range, while internalizing problems were more prevalent (17.8%) than externalizing problems (7.4%). These prevalences increased by 0.7–2.0% when the non-school sample was taken into account. A low socioeconomic status (SES) and living in single parent families were associated with higher problem scores. Regarding the interviewed sample (377 students and 407 parents), subthreshold psychiatric disorders were observed in 12.7% of students. 92.5% of them have not yet received any kind of help.

Conclusions

A significant proportion of Austrian adolescents are at risk for MHP. A non-responder analysis indicates that the observed prevalence may be even underestimated. These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted prevention, especially for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms and for adolescents in disadvantaged families.
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Metadata
Title
Prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems and subthreshold psychiatric disorders in Austrian adolescents and the need for prevention
Authors
Julia Philipp
Michael Zeiler
Karin Waldherr
Stefanie Truttmann
Wolfgang Dür
Andreas F. K. Karwautz
Gudrun Wagner
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 12/2018
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1586-y

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