Journal article

Risk factors for childhood mental health symptoms: National longitudinal study of Australian children

JK Bayer, OC Ukoumunne, N Lucas, M Wake, K Scalzo, JM Nicholson

Pediatrics | AMER ACAD PEDIATRICS | Published : 2011

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictors of child externalizing (behavioral) and internalizing (emotional) symptoms in a national population sample. METHODS: Data were collected in 3 biennial waves (2004, 2006, and 2008) from 2 cohorts in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, initially including 5107 children 0 to 1 year of age and 4983 children 4 to 5 years of age. The primary outcomes were child externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Relationships between potential risk factors and child mental health outcomes were described by using linear regression. RESULTS: In unadjusted analyses, children's mental health symptoms were predicted by a large number of risk factors. In multivariate ..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

LSAC was conducted in partnership with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Dr Bayer was supported in part by an Australian Rotary Health Fellowship in Mental Illness and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Population Health Capacity Building Grant 436914. Drs Wake and Nicholson were supported by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Awards (grants 546405 and 390136, respectively).