Citation

Wasserman GA, McReynolds LS, Ko SJ, Katz LM, Carpenter JR. Am. J. Public Health 2005; 95(1): 131-137.

Affiliation

Center for Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 78, New York, NY 10032, USA. wassermg@childpsych.columbia.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2003.024737

PMID

15623873

PMCID

PMC1449865

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We identified gender differences in psychiatric disorders among youths at probation intake. METHODS: We measured disorders with the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children among 991 randomly selected youths (200 girls) at probation intake in 8 Texas counties. Logistic regression analyses predicted diagnostic clusters by gender, adjusting for demographics and offense characteristics. RESULTS: Demographic and offense characteristics explained small but interpretable and specific variance in diagnostic profile. Girls' rates of anxiety and affective disorders were higher than boys' (odds ratios = 0.59 and 0.32, respectively). Girls with violent offenses, compared with other groups, were 3 to 5 times as likely to report anxiety disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Among youths with conduct problems, girls demonstrated an elevated risk for co-occurring anxiety or affective disorder.

Language: en