This study of 400 adolescents (age 15) builds on a longitudinal data base collected beginning at entry to kindergarten. Specific risk variables in the domains of health, behavior and family characteristics have been linked to behavioral and academic problems at age 9. Over-all objectives include assessment of the stability of earlier behavioral and academic problems in adolescence as well as the role of current mediating factors that may ameliorate or exacerbate problematic outcomes. Since young adolescents are vulnerable to mental health problems, including depression as well as antisocial behavior, the identification of mediators of these outcomes can provide guidelines to programs of intervention.
Specific aims are to: (1) describe patterns of continuity and change in attention, anxiety and academic performance of the study cohort over the 10-year time span of the study (ages 5, 6, 9 and 15); (2) assess the effects of past behavior problems and academic performance identified at earlier periods on current adolescent functioning; (3) assess the effects of previously identified risk factors at pre-kindergarten and kindergarten on current attention and anxiety problems and academic functioning at age 15; and (4) examine the relative contributions of past risk and current mediating variables on behavioral and academic functioning at 15. Mediating variables will include family characteristics, the social environment, and the adolescent's perceived social status. Specific hypotheses will be tested for each of the four aims.
These aims are addressed by interviewing the adolescents and their mothers utilizing a battery of standardized instruments and semi-structured interviews. Analyses directed towards accomplishing the specific aims will include univariate and bivariate techniques as well as methods of random effects models, logistic regression, log-linear techniques and structural equation models to test the specific hypotheses posed. The knowledge to be gained from this study has direct application to planning programs of prevention and treatment of mental health problems of adolescents.
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