Objective: To examine factors associated with high intensity physician-based mental health care services in a population-based sample of children and youth in Ontario, Canada.
Methods: Data from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS) were linked at the person-level to longitudinal health administrative databases containing physician contacts in outpatient settings, emergency departments and hospitals. Our analytical sample (15.
Canada lacks an approach to early childhood mental health prevention aimed at decreasing barriers to care among highest-needs families. In this Canadian randomized controlled trial, we aimed to evaluate whether participation in the Family Check-Up® (FCU®) would be associated with lower severity of child behavior problems (primary outcome) and caregiver psychological distress and daily parenting stress (secondary outcomes). Eligible caregivers of children aged 2-4 years with (i) high severity of behavior problems and/or (ii) above-average severity plus ≥ 1 family psychosocial risk factor were recruited from early education, community, and clinical settings in Hamilton, Ontario.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few studies have examined the inter-relationships between teacher and student mental health. We aimed to examine associations between teacher distress and student mental health difficulties and if student perceptions of school safety moderate these associations.
Method: Data from 23,568 students in grades 6-12 and 1,478 teachers from 268 schools participating in the School Mental Health Surveys in Ontario, Canada, were used.
Objectives: This study examined whether poverty (neighborhood and household) was associated with future health or life satisfaction outcomes and whether the association operated through social support (adult support at home, adult support at school, peer belonging), or differed by the immigration background (nonimmigrant family or immigrant family) of the family.
Methods: This study utilized a retrospective, longitudinal, population-based cohort that included self-reported survey data from the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) completed by children at age 9 and age 12, linked to administrative records. Participants included 5906 children in British Columbia, Canada.
Introduction: Early adolescents who are new to Canada experience dual challenges of navigating developmental changes and multiple cultures. This study examined how changes in early adolescents' emotional health from ages 9 to 12 differed by immigration background, and to what extent peer belonging and supportive school climate protected or promoted their emotional health.
Methods: This study drew upon linked self-report and administrative data.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry
October 2024
J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
March 2024
J Patient Rep Outcomes
February 2024
Background: In the context of Greece, many instruments measuring constructs pertinent to child and adolescent mental health lacked a locally-validated, freely-available version. As part of a nationwide survey, we translated and cross-culturally adapted a collection of seventeen brief, largely-employed assessment tools that can be used at scale.
Methods: This study is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative in Greece (CAMHI), a capacity-building program focusing on enhancing mental health care for children and adolescents living in Greece.
Importance: The period from childhood to early adulthood involves increased susceptibility to the onset of mental disorders, with implications for policy making that may be better appreciated by disaggregated analyses of narrow age groups.
Objective: To estimate the global prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) associated with mental disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs) across 4 age groups using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.
Design, Setting, And Participants: Data from the 2019 GBD study were used for analysis of mental disorders and SUDs.
Lancet Glob Health
January 2024
Background: Semi-structured diagnostic interviews and symptom checklists present similar internal reliability. We aim to investigate whether they differ in predicting poor life outcomes in the transition from childhood to young adulthood.
Methods: For this longitudinal study, we used data from the Brazilian High Risk Cohort Study for Childhood Mental Health Conditions.
Background: Studies indicate a higher prevalence of mental health problems among immigrants, but findings on immigrant children and adolescents are mixed. We sought to understand the magnitude of differences in mental health indicators between immigrant and non-immigrant children and adolescents in Canada and the influence of age, sex, household income, and household education.
Methods: We completed a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey, using a pooled estimate method to combine data from four survey cycles.
PLoS One
October 2023
Introduction: Longitudinal studies of child mental disorders in the general population (herein study) investigate trends in prevalence, incidence, risk/protective factors, and sequelae for disorders. They are time and resource intensive but offer life-course perspectives and examination of causal mechanisms. Comprehensive syntheses of the methods of existing studies will provide an understanding of studies conducted to date, inventory studies, and inform the planning of new longitudinal studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting emergency departments (EDs) for mental health or substance use concerns in Ontario, Canada is lacking.
Objectives: Using data from a population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data, this study leverages a provincially representative sample and quasi-experimental design to strengthen inferences regarding the extent to which children's sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit.
Methods: 9,301 children aged 4-17 years participating in the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study were linked retrospectively (6 months) and prospectively (12 months) with administrative health data on ED visits from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System.
Background: Persistent disparities in access to mental health care for refugee and immigrant children and their families pose unique challenges to policy and practice. This study examined service provider perspectives on the barriers and opportunities for improving mental health supports for newcomer children and families in Canada.
Methods: Semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted with 33 leadership and frontline staff from 14 organizations in the health, education, settlement, and social service sectors in Hamilton, Ontario.
Evidence-based information is essential for effective mental health care, yet the extent and accessibility of the scientific literature are critical barriers for professionals and policymakers. To map the necessities and make validated resources accessible, we undertook a systematic review of scientific evidence on child and adolescent mental health in Greece encompassing three research topics: prevalence estimates, assessment instruments, and interventions. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and IATPOTEK from inception to December 16th, 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParenting can protect against the development of, or increase risk for, child psychopathology; however, it is unclear if parenting is related to psychopathology symptoms in a specific domain, or to broad liability for psychopathology. Parenting differs between and within families, and both overall family-level parenting and the child-specific parenting a child receives may be important in estimating transdiagnostic associations with psychopathology. Data come from a cross-sectional epidemiological sample ( = 10,605 children ages 4-17, 6434 households).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThough mental health and substance use concerns often co-occur, few studies have characterized patterns of co-occurrence among adolescents in clinical settings. The current investigation identifies and characterizes these patterns among adolescents presenting to an outpatient mental health service in Ontario, Canada. Data come from cross-sectional standardized patient intake assessments from 916 adolescents attending an outpatient mental health program (January 2019-March 2021).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Resettlement experiences of refugee parents are under-researched despite evidence indicating higher risk of poor mental health. The current study integrates family systems and social determinants of refugee mental health frameworks to examine: (1) Refugee parents' experiences of resettlement stressors and mental health; (2) Perceived impacts of resettlement stressors on individual and family indicators of well-being; and (3) Refugee parents' coping strategies and resources.
Methods: The study draws on data from a mixed methods survey conducted with 40 Government-Assisted Refugee parents who had resettled to Hamilton, Canada within the past 4 years.
Prev Med Rep
February 2023
Organized activity participation has been linked to children's emotional wellbeing. However, a scarcity of literature considers the role of immigrant background. This study's primary objective was to measure the association between organized activity participation and emotional wellbeing among a population-based sample of Grade 7 children in British Columbia, Canada.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
March 2023
Background: Use of acute care for mental health concerns has been increasing among youth in recent years. Improving access to outpatient mental health services may prevent downstream acute care visits.
Purpose: To examine differences in rates of acute mental health care visits among youth with- versus without prior outpatient mental health services.
Background: The standard approach for classifying child/youth psychiatric disorder as present or absent in epidemiological studies is lay-administered structured, standardized diagnostic interviews (interviews) based on categorical taxonomies such as the DSM and ICD. Converting problem checklist scale scores (checklists) to binary classifications provides a simple, inexpensive alternative.
Methods: Using assessments obtained from 737 parents, we determine if child/youth behavioral, attentional, and emotional disorder classifications based on checklists are equivalent psychometrically to interview classifications.