Psychological disorders and their correlates in an Australian community sample of preadolescent children

The nature and correlates of psychological disorders of preadolescent child ren from the longitudinal Australian Temperament Project (ATP) are reported . Almost half of the children identified via checklists completed by mother s, teachers, and the children themselves as being in the at-risk range for disorder received a DSM-III-R diagnosis. Nine per cent of comparison, or lo w-risk, children also received a diagnosis. Internalising disorders were th e most common, and 44 % of cases had multiple problems. Children rated as p roblematic by all three informants or by child plus teacher were the most l ikely to receive a diagnosis. The at-risk group had more difficult temperam ent, poorer family and peer relationships, lower levels of social skills, a nd were of lower SES than the comparison group. There were minimal differen ces on these variables between at-risk children who did, or did not, receiv e a DSM-III-R diagnosis. It is argued that especially for boys, checklists from multiple informants are effective tools for identifying clinically sig nificant disorders.