Child's behaviour at 10 years of age may predict risk of depression, violent tendencies and phobias later in life

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Depression;  Anxiety / Stress
Article Date: 23 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT


New research findings suggest that a child's behaviour during the age of 10-11 could predict whether he/she will suffer from depression, have violent tendencies or have social phobia later in life.

The study looked at the data on 765 children 10-11 years of age. They followed the kids up for a period of ten years. Those who at the age of 10-11 were involved in fighting, stealing or had other behaviour problems had four times the normal risk of developing depression or violent behaviour as a 21-year-old adult.

Dr. W. Alex Mason , led researcher, said to the Reuters news agency "The good news is that the findings in this study suggest that parents, teachers, and service providers might be able to identify children with conduct problems at an early age and intervene to reduce those problems as a way to prevent later violence and depression."

Other studies have suggested an association between childhood anxiety and depression and adult depression and anxiety disorders. Most studies seem to agree that behavioural problems (and emotional) during childhood increases the chances of children becoming antisocial adults.

The problem with previous studies is that one could not make conclusions regarding society at large as the children being monitored were all from clinics rather than from the general community.

This latest study has overcome this limitation. Dr. Mason and his team (Washington University) studied Seattle schoolchildren aged 10-11 in high crime neighbourhoods.

A decade later they found that 21% of the children they had been monitoring had committed at least two violent acts during the previous twelve months. 20% had experienced depression while 17% had experienced some kind or social phobia over the previous twelve months.

The researchers found there was link between the children's own records earlier in life and violent behaviour, depression or social phobia as early adults.

You can read about this study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

There was also a link, although less significant, between shyness during childhood and increased risk of social phobia later in life.

The scientists found a stronger link between violent behaviour and adult depression from the parental and teacher reports than from the children's reports on themselves.

Mason also stressed that it is normal for children to be involved in some kind of conduct problems during their lives. He said that it was when those problems started earlier than was thought typical that it may be a sign of increased risk of things to come.

When asked why there might be this association between childhood conduct problems and adult depression or violent behaviour, Dr. Mason said "Some have hypothesized that children who engage in aggressive behaviour like fighting, pushing others and other problem behaviours become increasingly socially isolated during adolescence. Their social failures may contribute to the development of depression."

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