title: Impact of adolescent mental disorders and physical illnesses on quality of life 17 years later.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate associations of mental disorders and physical illnesses during adolescence with quality of life (QOL) 17 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Children in the Community Study, a prospective longitudinal investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Upstate New York.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based sample of mothers and their offspring were interviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Axis I disorders and Axis II personality disorders and physical illnesses were assessed by self-report and mother report in 1985-1986. Outcome indicators of QOL were assessed in 2001-2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with participants without adolescent illness or disorder, those with a history of physical illness reported poorer physical health (mean difference [MD], -4.8); those with a history of an Axis I disorder reported poorer physical health (MD, -8.0) and more problematic social relationships (MD, -4.5); and those with a history of personality disorder reported poorer physical health (MD, -8.2), more problematic social relationships (MD, -5.0), lower psychological well-being (MD, -3.6), and more adversity within their environmental context (MD, -4.6) in adulthood. Comorbid physical illness and mental disorder were associated with all 5 QOL domains (MD, -3.1 to -11.9). After adjusting for all demographic variables and comorbidity, associations remained between physical illness and poor physical health (effect size [ES], -0.33); an Axis I disorder and problematic social relationships (ES, -0.37); and personality disorder and problematic social relationships (ES, -0.36), low psychological well-being (ES, -0.23), impaired role function (ES, -0.24), and an adverse environmental context (ES, -0.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental disorders may have more adverse long-term associations with QOL than do physical illnesses. Adolescent personality disorders may have a more adverse impact on adult QOL than do adolescent Axis I disorders.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Mental Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 100 Haven Avenue #31F, New York, NY 10032, USA. chenhen@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Henian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasen
authors.forename: Jeffrey G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Berenson
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis