title: New South Wales Child Development Study (NSW-CDS): an Australian multiagency, multigenerational, longitudinal record linkage study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The initial aim of this multiagency, multigenerational record linkage study is to identify childhood profiles of developmental vulnerability and resilience, and to identify the determinants of these profiles. The eventual aim is to identify risk and protective factors for later childhood-onset and adolescent-onset mental health problems, and other adverse social outcomes, using subsequent waves of record linkage. The research will assist in informing the development of public policy and intervention guidelines to help prevent or mitigate adverse long-term health and social outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprises a population cohort of 87,026 children in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW). The cohort was defined by entry into the first year of full-time schooling in NSW in 2009, at which time class teachers completed the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) on each child (with 99.7% coverage in NSW). The AEDC data have been linked to the children's birth, health, school and child protection records for the period from birth to school entry, and to the health and criminal records of their parents, as well as mortality databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Descriptive data summarising sex, geographic and socioeconomic distributions, and linkage rates for the various administrative databases are presented. Child data are summarised, and the mental health and criminal records data of the children's parents are provided.
  In 2015, at age 11 years, a self-report mental health survey was administered to the cohort in collaboration with government, independent and Catholic primary school sectors. A second record linkage, spanning birth to age 11 years, will be undertaken to link this survey data with the aforementioned administrative databases. This will enable a further identification of putative risk and protective factors for adverse mental health and other outcomes in adolescence, which can then be tested in subsequent record linkages.
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Vaughan J
authors: VJ
authors: Carr
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Felicity
authors: F
authors: Harris
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Raudino
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Luming
authors: L
authors: Luo
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Maina
authors: M
authors: Kariuki
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Enwu
authors: E
authors: Liu
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Stacy
authors: S
authors: Tzoumakis
authors: School of Education, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Maxwell
authors: M
authors: Smith
authors: School of Education, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Allyson
authors: A
authors: Holbrook
authors: School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Miles
authors: M
authors: Bore
authors: Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Australia Institute for Social Research, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Sally
authors: S
authors: Brinkman
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Rhoshel
authors: R
authors: Lenroot
authors: Principals Australia Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Dix
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Kimberlie
authors: K
authors: Dean
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Kristin R
authors: KR
authors: Laurens
authors: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Melissa J
authors: MJ
authors: Green
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D000067576:Child Health; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D000067010:Literacy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008603:Mental Health; D009517:New South Wales; D010290:Parents; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; MENTAL HEALTH