Abstract
The prevalence of 3 mental disorders (Depressive Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), the prevalence of mental health problems, and rates of health-risk behaviours among those with problems, along with patterns of service utilisation, are reported for 1490 adolescents aged 13–17 years in Australia. Mental disorders were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV completed by parents. Parents and adolescents also completed standard questionnaires designed to assess mental health problems, health-risk behaviours and service use. On the basis of parent reports, 13% of adolescents were identified as having mental health problems, while 19% were identified as having problems on the basis of adolescent reports. Many of the adolescents with mental health problems also had problems in other areas of their lives. Only 31% of those identified by parents as having mental health problems and 20% of adolescents who identified themselves as having problems, had attended a professional service during the 6 months prior to the survey. School counselling was the service most frequently attended. Clinical and population health interventions must take into account the presence of co-morbid problems and low rates of health service usage reported amongst adolescents with mental health problems.
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Notes
The data can be accessed at the Australian Social Science Data Archive (http://assda.anu.edu.au)
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Acknowledgments
The Child and Adolescent component of the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being was funded by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. The authors would also like to acknowledge Associate Professor Peter Baghurst and Ms Sophie Guy for assisting with the preparation of this manuscript.
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Michael Sawyer is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Discipline of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, and Head, Research and Evaluation Unit, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Adelaide. His major research interests include epidemiology and health-related quality of life.
Lauren Miller-Lewis is a NHMRC Postdoctoral Training Fellow in the University of Adelaide Discipline of Paediatrics and the Research and Evaluation Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia. She received her PhD from Flinders University. Her major research interests are developmental and health psychology.
Jennifer Clark is a Project Officer in the Research and Evaluation Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.
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Sawyer, M.G., Miller-Lewis, L.R. & Clark, J.J. The Mental Health of 13–17 Year-Olds in Australia: Findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. J Youth Adolescence 36, 185–194 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9122-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9122-x