Reading problems, psychiatric disorders, and functional impairment from mid- to late adolescence.
OBJECTIVE
To examine psychiatric morbidity and functional impairment of adolescents with and without poor reading skills during mid- to late adolescence.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 188 adolescents, 94 with poor reading skills and 94 with typical reading skills, screened from a larger sample in the public schools at age 15. To assess psychiatric disorders, participants were assessed annually with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Epidemiologic Version (up to 4.5 years; maximum age, 20 years). Functional impairment was assessed with the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale.


RESULTS
Adolescents with poor reading skills evidenced higher rates of current attention-deficit/hyperactivity, affective, and anxiety disorders, particularly social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders but not affective disorders were related to reading status after controlling for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescents with poor reading evidenced more functional impairment across multiple areas than youths with typical reading skills, even after considering the presence of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased psychiatric morbidity and functional impairment of adolescents with reading problems highlight the importance of developing interventions that help these youths address reading deficits and associated vulnerabilities during the last years of secondary school.
Goldston
David B
DB
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.. Electronic address: david.goldston@duke.edu.
Walsh
Adam
A
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Mayfield Arnold
Elizabeth
E
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Reboussin
Beth
B
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Sergent Daniel
Stephanie
S
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Erkanli
Alaattin
A
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Nutter
Dennis
D
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Hickman
Enith
E
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Palmes
Guy
G
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Snider
Erica
E
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
Wood
Frank B
FB
Drs. Goldston and Erkanli are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Dr. Reboussin is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Wood is with the Department of Neurology, and Drs. Arnold, Daniel, Nutter, and Palmes, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Snider, and Ms. Hickman are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Nutter is now affiliated with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville; and Ms. Hickman is employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index