Adolescent life events and adult mental health 5–9 years after referral for acute psychiatric outpatient treatment

• Published in: Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
• Main Authors: Skarbø, T., Rosenvinge, J.H., Holte, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2004
• Subjects: Norway; Nordland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cpp.425; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fcpp.425; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cpp.425

Abstract Knowledge is needed of mental health in relation to life events of former acute child and adolescent outpatients at risk of suicide. The present study describes the long‐term mental health outcome of young adults who as children or adolescents were referred to outpatient psychiatry for mental health problems, and identifies putative mental health statistical outcome predictors at follow‐up, with focus on life events. One hundred patients referred to treatment at child and adolescent outpatient clinics in Nordland County, Norway, during 1990–1994 were interviewed face to face, 5–9 years after referral. At follow‐up, life events at young age were associated with the mental health status in spite of referral and acute psychotherapeutic intervention. There was a general effect of life events at young age, affecting a large number of mental health variables. Childhood and adolescence difficulties were highly correlated, indicating a possible continuation of effects from childhood to adolescence. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.