4 Troubled Teens Blog

Using reports from parents and teachers, a research team was able to predict which kindergartners would outgrow their mental problems and which were likely to develop severe mental problems by the end of elementary school.

"We did a phenomenal job of picking up those kids very early," said Dr. Marilyn Essex, lead author of the study. "Now those findings need to be replicated by others."

• Dr. Essex and her research team had mothers and teachers report mental symptoms of 328 children, starting in kindergarten through grade five.
• Some children acted out their symptoms through conduct problems, inattention, impulsivity, and aggression.
• Others internalized their symptom through depression and anxiety.
• The children who needed the most help by fifth grade were those who showed both internalizing and externalizing symptoms for at least two consecutive years.
• The children in the study are now 17 and 18 years old, and research is ongoing.

"We were able to tell in kindergarten and grade one which children were very likely to develop this pattern of mental health problems," Dr. Essex said. "We were able to predict quite well long-term patterns from early behavioral issues."

The study appeared in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Labels: mental_illness, teachers, parents

Posted By: Aspen/CRC