Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anxious and depressive symptoms in adolescents: Epidemiological data of a large scale study in Dresden

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Sozial- und Präventivmedizin

Summary

Objectives

The present large scale epidemiological study was designed to assess the prevalence of mental disorders in adolescents

Methods

Two cross-sectional studies have been performed in adolescents in Dresden and the results of the examination of 627 high school and 485 secondary school students (mean age 15.5 years) are presented. Self rating procedures like the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and clinical Interviews have been used to enhance validity.

Results

The results underline the high prevalence rates of anxiety and depression in adolescents. Up to 30% of the 9th and 10th grades students suffer from mental disorders or are at risk for the development of mental disorders.

Conclusions

Therefore primary prevention of mental disorders is desirable.

Zusammenfassung

Fragestellung

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt das Design einer umfangreichen epidemiologischen Studie zur Prävalenz psychischer Störungen bei Jugendlichen.

Methoden

Zwei Querschnittstudien an Dresdner Jugendlichen werden vorgestellt und die Untersuchungsergebnisse von 627 Gymnasiasten und 485 Mittelschülern (Durchschnittsalter 15,5 Jahre) werden berichtet. Zur Verbesserung der Validität der Untersuchungsergebnisse wurden Selbstbeurteilungsinstrumente wie das Beck Depressions Inventar (BDI) zusammen mit klinischen Interviews verwendet.

Ergebnisse

Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die hohe Prävalenz von Angststörungen und Depression bei Jugendlichen. Bis zu 30% der Schüler der 9, und 10. Klassen von Gymnasien und Mittelschulen weisen manifeste psychische Störungen oder eine erhöhtes Risiko an einer solchen zu erkranken auf.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Bedeutung der primären Prävention psychischer Störungen.

Résumée

Objectifs

Le travail présent décrit la conception d'une large enquête sur la fréquence des troubles psychiques chez l'adolescent.

Méthodes

Deux études d'échantillon effectuées sur des adolescents de Dresden sont exposées et les résultats d'enquêtes menés sur 627 lycéens et 485 collégiens (âge moyen 15,5 ans) sont présentés. Des procédures d'auto=evaluation telles que le Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) et des entretiens cliniques ont été utilisés pour améliorer la validité des résultats obtenus.

Résultats

Ces derniers démontrent un taux élevé de troubles liés à l'anxiété et de dépressions chez l'adolescent. Jusqu'à 30% des élèves des 3ème et Secondes des classes de collèges et lycées manifestent des troubles psychiques ou présentent un risque élevé de développer de tels troubles.

Conclusions

Ces résultats soulignent l'importance d'un dépistage précoce de ces troubles psychiques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Üstün TB, Sartorius N., Mental illness in General Health Care: an International Study. London: J. Wiley & Sons, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Wittchen HU. Early development stages of psychopathology (EDSP). München: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wittchen HU, Stein MB, Kessler RC. Social fears and social phobia in a community sample of adolescents and young adults: prevalence, risk factors and co-morbidity. Psychol Med 1999;29:309–3.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Offord DR, Boyle MH, Campbell D, et al. One-year prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Ontarians 15 to 64 years of age. Can J Psychiatry 1996;41:559–63.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Lewinsohn PM, Rohde P, Seely JR, Fischer SA. Age-cohort changes in the lifetime occurence of depression and other mental disorders. J Abnormal Psychology 1993;102: 110–20.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Burke KB, Burke JD, Regier DA, Rae DS. Age at onset of selected mental disorders in five community populations. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1990;47:511–8.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kavacs M, Obrosky S, Gatsonis C, Richards C. First-episode major depressive and dysthimic disorder in childhood: clinical and sociodemographical factors in recovery. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1997;36: 777–84.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zaho S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994;51: 8–19.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lewinsohn PM, Clarke GN, Seely JR, Rohde P. Major depression in community adolescents: age of onset, episode duration, and time to recurrence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1994,33: 809–18.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Reed V, Wittchen HU. DSM-IV panic attacks and panic disorder in a community sample of adolescents and young adults: how specific are panic attacks? J Psychiatry Res 1998;32:335–45.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Oldehinkel AJ, Wittchen HU, Schuster P. Prevalence, 20-month incidence and out-come of unipolar depressive disorders in a community sample of adolescents. Psychol Med 1999;29:655–68.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sweeny PD, Anderson K, Bailey S. Attributional style in depression: a meta-analytic review. J Pers Soc Psychol 1986;50:974–91.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Manz R, Junge J, Neumer S, Margraf J. Primary prevention of mental disorders-A research project at the Dresden University of Technology. In: Heess-Erler G, Manz R, Kirch W, eds. Public health research and practice: report of the Public Health Research Association Saxony 1999–2000. Vol 2. Regensburg: Roderer, 2000: 293–322.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelson M, Mock J, Erbaught J. An inventory of measuring depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1961;4: 561–71.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hautzinger M. Das Beck Depressionsinventar in der Klinik. Nervenarzt 1999;62:689–96.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Beck AT, Epstein N, Brown G, Steer RA. An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. J Consult Clin Psychol 1988;56:891–3.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Margraf J, Ehlers A. Das Beck Angstinventar. Bern: Huber, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Achenbach TM. Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Döpfner M, Berner W, Lehmkuhl G. Reliabilität und faktorielle Validität des Youth Self-Report der Child Behavior Checklist bei einer klinischen Stichprobe. Diagnostica 1995;41:221–44.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Roberts RE, Lewinsohn PM, Seeley JR. Screening for adolescent depression: a comparison of depression scales. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1991;30:58–66.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Achenbach TM, Edelbrock C. Manual for the Youth Self-Report and Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Margraf J, Schneider S, Ehlers A.DIPS: Diagnostisches Interview bei psychischen Störungen. Berlin: Springer, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Margraf J, Junge J. Mini-Dips-J: Kurzform des Diagnostischen Interviews bei psychischen Störungen für Jugendliche. Dresden: Technische Universität, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Clarke GN, Hawkins W, Murphy M, et al. Targeted prevention of unipolar depression disorder in an at-risk sample of high school adolescents: a randomized trial of group cognitive intervention. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1995;34:312–21.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Gilham JE, Reivich KJ, Jaycox LH, Seligman MEP. Prevention of depressive symptoms in schoolchildren: two years follow-up. Psychol Sci 1995:6:343–51.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Seligman MEP. Learned optimism. New York: Knopf, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dresden University of Technology, Research Association Public Health Saxony, Fiedlerstrasse 33, D-0137, Dresden

    Rolf Manz

  2. Department of Clinical Psychology, Dresden University of Technology, D-0137, Dresden

    Juliane Junge

  3. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Basel, Basel

    Jürgen Margraf

Authors
  1. Rolf Manz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Juliane Junge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jürgen Margraf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rolf Manz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manz, R., Junge, J. & Margraf, J. Anxious and depressive symptoms in adolescents: Epidemiological data of a large scale study in Dresden. Soz Präventivmed 46, 115–122 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299728

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299728

Key-words

Search

Navigation