title: Association between infection early in life and mental disorders among youth in the community: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to examine the association between infection early in life and mental disorders among youth in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from the MECA (Methods in Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent psychopathology), a community-based study of 1,285 youth in the United States conducted in 1992. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between parent/caregiver-reported infection early in life and DSM/DISC diagnoses of mental disorders at ages 9-17.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infection early in life was associated with a significantly increased odds of major depression (OR = 3.9), social phobia (OR = 5.8), overanxious disorder (OR = 6.1), panic disorder (OR = 12.1), and oppositional defiant disorder (OR = 3.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are consistent with and extend previous results by providing new evidence suggesting a link between infection early in life and increased risk of depression and anxiety disorders among youth. These results should be considered preliminary. Replication of these findings with longitudinal epidemiologic data is needed. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Rm 1505, New York, NY 10032, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu
authors: Renee D
authors: RD
authors: Goodwin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology