| 1. |
- Heiervang, Einar, et al.
(författare)
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Psychiatric disorders in Norwegian 8- to 10-year-olds: an epidemiological survey of prevalence, risk factors, and service use.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0890-8567 .- 1527-5418. ; 46:4, s. 438-447
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The Bergen Child Study is a longitudinal study of child mental health from the city of Bergen, Norway. We present methods and results from the first wave of the study, focusing on prevalence of disorders, associations with risk factors, and the use of services. METHOD: The target population included all 9,430 children attending grades 2 to 4 in Bergen schools during the academic year 2002/2003. The main screening instrument was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, whereas diagnoses were based on the Development and Well-Being Assessment. Information about child and family risk factors and service use was also obtained in this second stage. RESULTS: In the first phase, the teacher Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was obtained for 9,155 (97%) of the target children and the matching parent Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for 6,297 (67%); 1,011 children (11%) were assessed with the Development and Well-Being Assessment in the second phase. The weighted prevalence for any DSM-IV psychiatric disorder was 7.0% (95% confidence interval 5.6%-8.5%). Disorders were associated with age, gender, learning difficulties, family type, and poverty. Although 75% of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had been in contact with specialist mental health services, this was true for only 13% of those with pure emotional disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children is relatively low in this Norwegian sample, when assessed with the Development and Well-Being Assessment. Children with emotional disorders have limited access to specialist services.
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| 2. |
- Lundervold, Astri J, et al.
(författare)
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Attention Deficits in Children With Combined Autism and ADHD: A CPT Study.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Attention Disorders. - : SAGE Publications. - 1087-0547 .- 1557-1246. ; 20:7, s. 599-609
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate characteristics of attention in children with the combination of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Method: Four groups of 8- to 10-year-old children were compared on the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition (CCPT-II): (a) ASD + ADHD (n = 11), (b) ASD only (n = 9), (c) ADHD only (n = 38), and (d) no diagnosis (n = 134). Results: There was an overall effect of group on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) index and measures of hit reaction time, accuracy, response style, variability, and consistency. The ASD + ADHD group, much like the ADHD only group, had a more risky response style, a higher variability, and a lower consistency than the ASD only group. The impact of intellectual function on CCPT-II performance was considerable in children within the ASD subgroups. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of including measures of attention and intellectual function when assessing children with the combination of ASD and ADHD.
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| 3. |
- Lundervold, Astri. J., et al.
(författare)
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Intellectual function in children with teacher reported language problems.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0036-5564 .- 1467-9450. ; 49:2, s. 187-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We predicted that teacher reported language problems are associated with low IQ, even when gender and behavior-emotional disorders are controlled for. All subjects were participants in a population based study. In stage 1, teachers completed a questionnaire containing four items pertaining to language function. A case-control sample (n= 294) was assessed using WISC-III and Kiddie-SADS-PL. A child was defined with "language problems" (LP) if s/he obtained a score indicating severe problems on at least one item. Teacher reported LP was found in 9.9% of the population sample and 20.7% of the case-control sample, with a three-fold higher risk for boys than girls. The LP group obtained significantly lower scores on all WISC-III factors compared with the non-LP group. The differences were not accounted for by the presence of behavioral-emotional disorders. When primary school teachers report LP, further assessment of the child's cognitive function is warranted.
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| 4. |
- Lundervold, Astri J, et al.
(författare)
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Teacher reports of hypoactivity symptoms reflect slow cognitive processing speed in primary school children.
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1018-8827 .- 1435-165X. ; 20:3, s. 121-126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mediating effect of cognitive processing speed on the ability of a primary school child to achieve his/her full potential of intellectual functioning emphasizes the importance of methods to detect “slow” children. Primary school teachers may be the first to have concerns about inattentive pupils who show symptoms of hypoactivity, but may find the symptoms difficult to interpret. In the present study we ask if a primary school teacher’s report of hypoactivity symptoms can be explained by the child’s performance on tests of processing speed. The 255 children included in the present study were part of the first wave of the Bergen Child Study, in which teachers completed a questionnaire including two hypoactivity items from the Five to Fifteen (FTF) questionnaire. Processing speed was measured by the Processing Speed Index (PSI) from the WISC-III, 1–2 years after the teacher rating. Teachers reported “certainly true” on at least one FTF item of hypoactivity for 11.8% of the children. These children obtained lower scores on the PSI than the remaining children in the sample. The PSI accounted for a considerable proportion of the variance of teacher reports on the FTF item “difficulty getting started on a task/activity”. The risk of a PSI score below 85 was increased in children with teacher-reported hypoactivity symptoms. The results indicate that teacher reports of hypoactivity symptoms reflect slow cognitive processing speed and should be followed up by a psychometric examination. Still, future studies are needed to improve detection and treatment of children with slow processing speed.
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| 5. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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ASSERT - The Autism Symptom SElf-ReporT for adolescents and adults: Bifactor analysis and validation in a large adolescent population.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Research in developmental disabilities. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-3379 .- 0891-4222. ; 34:12, s. 4495-4503
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With a view to developing a brief screening instrument for autism symptoms in a general population of adolescents, seven items from the Asperger syndrome (and high-functioning autism) diagnostic interview were adapted for use as self-report in an online questionnaire for youths aged 16-19 years (N=10,220). The selected items target lack of social understanding (4 items) and rigid and repetitive behavior and interests (RRBI; 3 items). Factor analyses were performed, and the seven items were also validated against self-reported ASD diagnosis. Best statistical model fit was found for a bifactor model with one general factor and two domain specific factors tied to social difficulties and RRBI. Both the general and the domain specific factors were associated with self-reported ASD diagnoses. The scale (referred to as the Autism Symptom SElf-ReporT for Adolescents and Adults - ASSERT) had good screening properties with a receiver operating curve-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.87 and a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 15.8. Applying a modified scoring of the scale further improved the screening properties leading to a ROC-AUC of 0.89 and a DOR of 24.9. The ASSERT holds promise as a brief self-report screen for autism symptoms in adolescents, and further studies should explore its usefulness for adults.
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| 6. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Autistic features in a total population of 7-9-year-old children assessed by the ASSQ (Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire).
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines. - : Wiley. - 0021-9630 .- 1469-7610. ; 47:2, s. 167-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The prevalence of autism is reported to be on the rise worldwide. Change of diagnostic criteria and a broadening of the concept of autism have been mentioned as contributing factors. Further studies of general populations are needed. The present study assessed the distribution of autistic features in a total population of children 7-9 years of age, and explored the impact of age, gender, informant, and participation bias on symptom report. METHODS: Teacher and parent forms of the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) were used in the "Bergen Child Study", a total population study of 9430 children aged 7-9 years. Completed teacher forms were returned for 97% and parent forms for 71% of the children. High-scorers were defined according to the ASSQ validation study by Ehlers, Gillberg, and Wing (1999). RESULTS: The distribution of ASSQ scores was found to be almost continuous. Of the children with both a teacher and a parent form, 2.1% were defined as high-scorers. Children without parent informed consent (i.e., anonymous children) obtained significantly higher teacher scores than those who had questionnaires completed by both parent and teacher. Adjusting prevalence for the anonymous children, the prevalence of high-scorers was 2.7% of the total population. Age did not affect symptom scores. Boys scored higher and parents reported more symptoms, particularly in girls. Agreement between informants was low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Autism symptoms are not uncommon in the general population of children. Our findings are consistent with the concept of autism as a spectrum. Non-responders had a higher load of autism symptoms than identified children, indicating that reports on the prevalence of autism in a responder group underestimate true prevalence. Large differences across informants suggested the need to gather information both from families and from schools when screening for autism spectrum disorders.
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| 7. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Factor analysis of the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Autism. - : SAGE Publications. - 1362-3613 .- 1461-7005. ; 12:1, s. 99-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study investigated the factor structure of parent and teacher Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) in a population of 7-9 years old children. For validation purposes, factors derived were correlated with results on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). A three-factor solution was identified on both parent and teacher ASSQ. Most of the variance was explained by one factor including measures of social function, validated by a high correlation with the SDQ peer problems scale. The second factor included measures of autism-associated problems. The items allocated to the third factor were more specific for a cognitive style typically found in high-functioning individuals with autism/Asperger syndrome. This factor did not correlate highly with any of the SDQ subscales. The results indicated that the screening efficiency of ASSQ could be increased by closer examination of the individual profile of factor scores.
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| 8. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of assessment instrument on ADHD diagnosis.
- 2014
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Ingår i: European child & adolescent psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1435-165X .- 1018-8827. ; 23:4, s. 197-205
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We compared four instruments commonly used to screen for and diagnose Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. The Bergen Child Study included a DSM-IV ADHD symptom list and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as screen in Phase one. Phase two included the parent Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), whereas Phase three comprised in-depth clinical assessment, including the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children (K-SADS). We compared ADHD as diagnosed by the four instruments in the children with normal intellectual functioning participating in all three phases (N=234). The DSM-IV ADHD symptom list showed moderate agreement with all other instruments (κ=0.53-0.57), whereas there was fair agreement between the K-SADS-DAWBA (κ=0.31) and between SDQ-DAWBA (κ=0.33). The DAWBA diagnosed fewer children with ADHD than did the other instruments. Implications for use of the instruments are discussed.
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| 9. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders: impact of diagnostic instrument and non-response bias.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0933-7954 .- 1433-9285. ; 45:3, s. 319-327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A large part of the variability in rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) across studies is non-aetiologic, and can be explained by differences in diagnostic criteria, case-finding method, and other issues of study design. AIM: To investigate the effects on ASD prevalence of two methodological issues; non-response bias and case ascertainment. We compared the findings of using a semi-structured parent interview versus in-depth clinical assessment, including an ASD specific interview. We further explored whether including information on non-responders affected the ASD prevalence estimate. METHOD: A total population of 7- to 9-year olds (N = 9,430) was screened for ASD with the autism spectrum screening questionnaire (ASSQ) in the Bergen Child Study (BCS). Children scoring above the 98th percentile on parent and/or teacher ASSQ were invited to participate in the second and subsequently in the third phase of the BCS where they were assessed for ASD using the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), and the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication disorders (DISCO), respectively. RESULTS: Clinical assessment using DISCO confirmed all DAWBA ASD cases, but also diagnosed additional cases. DISCO-generated minimum prevalence for ASD was 0.21%, whereas estimated prevalence was 0.72%, increasing to 0.87% when adjusting for non-responders. The DAWBA estimate for the same population was 0.44%. CONCLUSION: Large variances in prevalence rates across studies can be explained by methodological differences. Both information about assessment method and non-response are crucial when interpreting prevalence rates of ASD.
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| 10. |
- Posserud, Maj-Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the autism spectrum screening questionnaire in a total population sample.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0162-3257 .- 1573-3432. ; 39:1, s. 126-134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a lack of instruments validated for screening of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in general populations and primary care settings. The Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) has previously been shown to have good screening properties in clinical settings. We used the ASSQ to screen a total population of 7-9 year-olds (N = 9430) for ASD in the Bergen Child Study. Parents and teachers filled in the ASSQ, and high-scorers were invited for clinical assessment, along with a large group of screen negative children. We found that the ASSQ was well suited as a general population screen. Combining parent and teacher ASSQ and using cut-off score of >/=17 provided the most efficient screen with sensitivity of 0.91 and specificity of 0.86.
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