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Biomedical subjects

D R Offord

Publications and source records attributed to D R Offord.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Pregnancy and birth complications in antisocial adolescents and their siblings.

The authors compared the frequency of pregnancy and birth complications (PBC) from hospital records in antisocial adolescents and their same-sexed siblings who were relatively clear of antisocial behaviour. Probands, as a group, were not more likely to have had more PBC than their siblings, however, if there was a difference in complication frequency, it was usually the proband who was affected. The only effect of PBC within a pair was on the school performance and reading achievement of the proband. These results suggests that PBC may provide a marker for a subgroup of antisocial youth with a different etiology than similarly disturbed adolescents without PBC.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Problems in setting up an executing large-scale psychiatric epidemiological studies.

This paper focuses on problems that can be encountered in conceptualizing, executing and writing up large-scale psychiatric epidemiological studies. It makes no attempt to cover fundamental issues of design and analysis, rather it centers on problems associated with projects of considerable size. In the conceptual area, it discusses the prerequisites to be considered before deciding to launch such a study. It notes the administrative and scientific uses of epidemiological studies and considers the strengths and weaknesses of large-scale studies to address those concerns. Issues in carrying out such studies are discussed including decisions about study design, sampling method and instrumentation. All are dependent on the central purpose of the study but trade-offs between feasibility and scientific rigor are always present. Data collection and analysis problems highlighted in large-scale studies are examined. They include the difficulty, in the former, of adequately motivating and supervising field personnel and, in the latter, of dealing with problems that accompany missing data and complicated sampling strategies. Potential problems in data access and use and writing up the results are seen as arising from the presence of a large investigative team with diverse interests. Lastly, the comparative worth of these studies is considered.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1985

A developmental dose-response analysis of the effects of methylphenidate on the peer interactions of attention deficit disordered boys.

Mixed dyads of 42 normal and 42 ADD boys were videotaped in free play, co-operative task, and simulated classrooms. ADD boys received placebo, 0.15 mg/kg, and 0.50 mg/kg of methylphenidate. ADD boys were more active and off task, watched peers less, and scored lower on mathematics and visual-motor tasks. Older boys interacted less, ignored peer interactions and play more frequently, were less controlling, and more compliant. In class, methylphenidate improved visual motor scores, and reduced the controlling behaviour, activity level, and off task behaviour of ADD boys. Normal peers displayed reciprocal reductions in controlling behaviour, activity level, and off task behaviour.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Pairs of same-sexed siblings discordant for antisocial behaviour.

Seventy-one pairs of same-sexed biological adolescent siblings, discordant for antisocial behaviour and service contact, were compared using matched-pairs analyses along several dimensions which included developmental, family, psychiatric, educational, cognitive, pro- and antisocial behaviour. The antisocial youth had significantly more negative perception and experiences than their siblings, who experienced more protective influences. Earlier onset in the antisocial youth of activities such as smoking also significantly differentiated the pairs. The early temperament index alone correctly classified as proband and sibling 95% of the youth, using discriminant analysis procedures. The findings are relevant to the aetiology of antisocial behaviour and to possible treatment interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Child psychiatric disorders: prevalence and perspectives.

This article provides a review of child psychiatric epidemiology, particularly as it applies to community prevalence surveys. By way of introduction, the administrative and scientific uses of epidemiology are outlined. Major issues in the field are discussed including prevalence versus incidence, definition of deviance and correlates, psychometric properties of instruments, sampling, sources of data, general maladjustment versus specific disorder, and comparability and generalizability of results. Current findings presented include a review of prevalence estimates for general maladjustment, conduct disorder, neurotic disorder, hyperactivity, and depressive disorder. Information is presented on the correlates of sex, age, social class, family factors, and school influences. The clinical implications of the correlate data are discussed and include the importance of utilizing multiple sources of data during the assessment phase and basing a treatment plan on a comprehensive assessment in which interventions are aimed at specific risk factors and strengths. Last, future directions of the field are suggested including the importance of gaining data on the correlates of the duration rather than the occurrence of disorders and the need for randomized clinical trials in which innovative prevention and treatment programs are launched and carefully evaluated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Problems of studying antisocial behavior.

The importance of antisocial behaviour is underlined by the magnitude of the problem (largest category of emotional disturbance in youth) and by the poor psychosocial prognosis for the chronically affected child. The medical/psychological approach has pointed to the role of marital discord and parental psychopathology as significant features in the individual's environment predicting antisocial development. Conversely, sociology and criminology, which have begun with social theories, appear to have had less statistical success in accounting for aetiology. Definition of conduct disorder in terms of type, duration, frequency, and severity of anti-social behaviour is indispensible for the characterization of subgroups of affected children, and hence variables which protect against or accentuate risk factors. Prognosis depends among other things on age of onset (worse younger) and setting (home or community), implying that treatment programmes cannot be evaluated adequately without the differential characterisation of subgroups, their natural histories, and responsiveness to intervention. Although such data come from the study of individuals, case-by-case treatment runs the risk in certain groups of escalating anti-social behaviour. Thus community/youth oriented interventions, focusing on the remedial treatment of learning handicaps, improvement of non-school skills, may provide more promising points of attack. Incomplete knowledge of aetiology should not prevent action, provided the methodological issues raised serve as the basis for vigorous evaluation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

School performance, IQ and female delinquency.

The present study explores the extent to which early school failure may be related causally to female delinquency. Parental interview and school record data were collected on 59 girls (and their families) placed on probation. The results suggest that in a relatively poor urban environment school failure does not play an important etiologic role in female delinquency but rather both the school failure and the delinquency arise from common or co-existing adverse family influences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Interviewing bipolar patients and their families.

The authors report on the case ascertainment phase of a pedigree study of patients with bipolar affective disorder. The nature of the research interview, which necessarily probes for symptoms and signs of affective disorder, appeared to have a provocative effect on some subjects by exposing heavily defended conflicts related to the expression of affect. Although such studies are necessary, researchers must be sensitive to the needs of their subjects and not regard the ascertainment interview as benign and uncathected.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The competent offspring of psychiatrically ill parents. Part I: A literature review.

An ever-growing body of literature describes the plight of being the offspring of psychiatrically ill parents. Yet, a significant number of children with such a disadvantaged background conquer their handicap and become reasonably well-adjusted people. These children have been labelled "invulnerable" and "competent". This literature review includes some of the attempts at defining this subgroup and points out a certain overlap between the concepts of positive mental health and competency. It delineates some of the possible genetic, constitutional, psychological and environmental factors involved. Lastly, it surveys some of the experimental attempts to enhance the competency of these children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

The competent offspring of psychiatrically ill parents. Part II: A search for behavioural variables.

Behavioural questionnaires can be used to tease apart some of the variables involved in the psychosocial adjustment of the child. The findings and limitations of one such attempt are discussed. The study includes data collected on 90 psychiatric patients, their spouses and children. Data were collected from the patient's chart and through a structured interview with the spouse. A medical history, Rutter's parental questionnaire on children's behaviour and the Randall-McClure behaviour checklist were completed. A comparison between the 37 children scoring 13 or more and the 73 children scoring 6 or less on the Rutter's checklist was carried out. A major finding is that the characteristics of the parents do not differentiate between children exhibiting high scores versus low scores on the behavioural checklists. The group of emotionally disturbed children identified in this way is related more to the presence of an unsettling situation and poor school performance. These data do not, however allow for an assessment of the role of either temperament or marital discord in the production of emotional disturbance, nor do they designate who will eventually suffer from serious mental illness in adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Brothers, sisters and antisocial behaviour.

The brothers of 73 delinquent boys were found themselves to be more antisocial than the brothers of 73 matched control boys. Further, the average antisocial score of the probands' brothers increased with the number of brothers in the family, holding the number of sisters constant, and decreased with the number of sisters, holding the number of brothers constant. These results are interpreted in terms of male potentiation and female suppression of antisocial behaviour in boys. Results are also reported for 59 pairs of matched delinquent and control girls and their siblings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

On being the offspring of an alcoholic: an update.

Reporting on research advances in a previous review of the literature, this article discusses the relative lack of controlled and prospective studies, the need for more treatment resources, the vulnerability of children of alcoholic parents compared to those of parents with other psychiatric diagnoses, and speculates on the sources of strength of the competent child of alcoholic parents.

Adolescent↗