Correlates of mental disorders in the Quebec general population of 6 to 14-year olds

Previous epidemiological studies of correlates of child and adolescent ment al disorders in the general population have focused more on child/adolescen t and socioeconomic/sociodemographic characteristics than on family charact eristics. Moreover, there are no generally accepted methods to analyze and interpret correlates. The purpose of the Quebec Child Mental Health Survey in this regard was twofold: (1) to identify correlates of DSM-III-R interna lizing and externalizing disorders according to informant (youth, parent, t eacher), for three age groups (6-8, 9-11, and 12-14 years), including relev ant family characteristics not considered in previous studies; and (2) to i nterpret the relative importance of risk indicators by ranking correlates a ccording to strength and consistency of association across age groups. Logi stic regression models suggest the inconsistency of correlates across infor mants. The ranking of correlates reveals that individual and family charact eristics make a more important contribution than do socioeconomic character istics, thereby supporting the relevance of proximal variables in the devel opment of psychopathology.