Mental illness patterns probed

Symptoms of mental illness may appear in a diagnosable pattern long before individuals reach adulthood. A report in 2005 by Kessler et al. at Harvard Medical School argued that half of all cases of psychiatric illness have begun by age 14. However, several studies released recently have proposed that noticeable, systematic changes emerge earlier in childhood, raising the possibility of preventative medicine to alleviate future impact on quality of life.

A team lead by Gregory Smith, published a February paper in Clinical Psychological Science, which found that measures of ‘urgency’ as a trait in 5th grade students (aged 9-11) predicted addictive behaviours (such as alcohol & nicotine consumption and binge eating) in 6th grade. The group, at the University of Kentucky, also found that in their 1, 906 child subjects ‘urgency’ also predicted levels of depression by the end of 6th grade. ‘Urgency’ was measured using a questionnaire with 4 possible answers varying from ‘not at all like me’ to ‘very much like me’, designed to measure impulsivity-related traits which cause rash, ill-advised action. Although this suggests some degree of predictability in children as young as 9, it is based on self-report by young children. In addition, it would be interesting if the authors conducted a longitudinal study to follow the development of mood disorders and addiction into adulthood.

Another publication in Psychological Science, by Dodge et al., suggests the use of cognitive therapy in addressing early ‘anti-social’ symptoms which may signal risk of mental illness in later life. It followed 891 kindergartners assigned to either the ‘Fast Track’ program or a control group until the end of 9th grade (aged 14-15). Children were placed in the groups, which featured social skill exercises etc., based on aggressive behaviour. The Fast Track children showed reduced levels of antisocial behaviour.