Antecedents and Consequences of Psychiatric Disorders in African-American Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 222722
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2008 Pages: 493-505
• Author(s): Run Jin; Xiaojia Ge; Gene H. Brody; Ronald L. Simons; Carolyn E. Cutrona; Frederick X. Gibbons
• Date Published: May 2008
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH48165; MH62668; 3320
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institute of Mental Health; Iowa Agriculture & Home Economics Experiment Station
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined antecedents and consequences of psychiatric disorders among African-American children.

Abstract

Results showed that children with at least one disorder, compared to those with no disorder, exhibited a significantly more difficult temperament, experienced puberty earlier, and underwent greater numbers of stressful life events. Those with at least one disorder had significantly poorer school outcomes than those with no disorder, and children with comorbid disorders, compared with those who had only one disorder, displayed lower educational aspirations and poorer school commitment. Earlier pubertal timing, stressful life events, and difficult temperament and early adolescence were significantly related to psychiatric disorders in late adolescence, suggesting a robust link between these antecedents and psychiatric disorders. Having psychiatric disorders exerted a significant impairing impact on African-American youths' academic lives. This within-race comparison provides strong evidence that psychiatric disorders have significant consequences for African-Americans’ academic achievement and school functioning. This study also showed a significant perspective association between stressful life events and psychiatric disorders among African-American youths; children who experienced a greater number of stressful life events were at a significantly higher risk for internalizing and externalizing disorders. African-American children who were high in risk-taking and restlessness were more likely to have externalizing disorders in adolescent years. Children with increased levels of risk-taking also displayed higher rates of internalizing disorders. These findings provide important clues for future research on plausible pathways to later crime and delinquency, as poor school performance and a lack of commitment represent important signals for future school dropouts, subsequent crime, and delinquency. Data were collected from the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS), a longitudinal study of African-American children (424 boys, 472 girls) and their families from multiple geographic areas in Georgia and Iowa. The participants were studied from 1997 and 2003 and were 10 to 12 years old. Tables, references