title: Latent class analysis of anxiety and depressive symptoms of the Youth Self-Report in a general population sample of young adolescents.
abstract: This study examined whether distinct groups of young adolescents with mainly anxiety or mainly depression could be identified in a general population sample. Latent class analysis was used on self-report ratings of DSM-IV symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, because it was hypothesized that these ratings provide a bigger chance to identify distinct groups than parent ratings of symptoms that are poorly associated with DSM-IV. Results from exploratory and confirmatory latent class analysis showed that only very small numbers of young adolescents had mainly anxiety or mainly depressive symptoms. Instead, a five-group model fitted the data best. These five groups contained young adolescents who either had a high, intermediate, or low probability to have comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression. It was concluded that symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depressive disorders co-occur in young adolescents, and that latent class analysis on items that capture also severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts are needed to derive groups with specific comorbidity patterns in a general population sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam/Sophia Children's Hospital, Dr. Molewaterplein 60/PO Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Natasja D J
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: van Lang
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ferdinand
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ormel
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012647:Self-Assessment