Peer-reviewed article
The development and course of youth psychopathology: a longitudinal study of prevalence and continuity from early childhood through late adolescence.
Jamilah Silver, Alison E Calentino, Connor Lawhead, Thomas M Olino, Lea R Dougherty et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This longitudinal study followed 609 children from age 3 to 18 in New York to track the prevalence of five common mental health disorders: depression, anxiety, ADHD, disruptive behavior, and substance use. By age 18, over 71% of children had experienced at least one mental disorder at some point. The study found that mental health problems often persist or change form over time, and that early problems in childhood significantly increase the risk of later mental health issues.
Key points
- By age 18, cumulative prevalence of any mental disorder was 71.8%
- Specific disorders: anxiety (55.9%), depression (34.7%), ADHD (22.6%), disruptive behavior (19.4%), substance use (11.9%)
- Depression prevalence increased with age, anxiety remained consistently high, disruptive behavior declined after age 6, and substance use sharply increased at age 18
- Mental health problems show substantial continuity—conditions either persist in the same form or transform into related disorders
- Early psychopathology before age 6 significantly increased risk of later mental disorders
Limitations
The study was conducted in a single geographic area (Stony Brook, NY) with primarily English-speaking families and excluded children with significant medical or developmental disorders, limiting generalizability. The sample may not be representative of other regions, populations, or children with co-occurring medical or developmental conditions.
Abstract
Youth mental disorders are prevalent and show homotypic and heterotypic continuity. We followed a community sample of 609 families with 3-year-old children living within 20 contiguous miles of Stony Brook, NY, with at least one biological parent; primary caregivers were required to speak English, and children with significant medical or developmental disorders were excluded. Participants were assessed at three-year intervals from ages 3-18, tracking the prevalence and continuity of five common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disruptive behavior, and substance use disorders) via semi-structured diagnostic interviews. By age 18, estimated cumulative prevalence rates were: depression (34.7%), anxiety (55.9%), disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; 19.4%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 22.6%), and substance use disorders (SUD; 11.9%). Depression prevalence rose with age; anxiety remained consistently high; DBD declined after age 6; ADHD peaked at age 12; and SUD sharply increased at age 18. The cumulative prevalence of any mental disorder by age 18 was 71.8%. We found substantial homotypic and heterotypic continuity. The latter was greater within than between the internalizing and externalizing domains. Early psychopathology (< age 6) significantly increased later disorder risk. These data highlight the substantial burden and developmental course of common youth mental disorders from preschool through late adolescence.