Biomedical subjects

Lars Wichstrøm

Publications and source records attributed to Lars Wichstrøm.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Adolescents referred to specialty mental health care from local services and adolescents who remain in local treatment: what differs?

BACKGROUND: The study investigates whether adolescents referred to specialty mental health services from local services differ from adolescents who only have received help for psychiatric problems locally. If so, which factors associate strongest with referral? METHOD: Adolescents (n = 76) from an adolescent population sample (N = 2,538) who had received help during the last year for mental problems from local services were compared to a clinical sample of adolescents (N = 129) referred to specialty mental health services from such local services. Comparisons were made according to scores on the Youth Self-Report (YSR); depressive symptoms; family functioning; attachment to parents; self-concept; coping styles; response styles; dysfunctional attitudes; negative life events; daily hassles; socio-demographics. RESULTS: As compared to adolescents receiving help locally, adolescents in specialty mental health care scored higher on YSR internalising syndrome; YSR attention problems; YSR thought problems; suicidality; psychosocial stressors; knowing someone who had attempted suicide; parental divorce; substance use; recent moves; living in lodgings; lost a pal or boy/girlfriend; and lower on attachment to parents. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified four factors associated with receiving specialty mental health care: low family functioning; moved previous year; knowing someone who had attempted suicide; own suicidality. CONCLUSIONS: Family functioning as reported by the adolescents, and not mental health problems except for suicidality, was found to be the strongest associated with referral to specialty mental health services. Contrary to findings from many other studies, referral was associated with internalising problems, not externalising ones.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Cohabitation reduces bulimic symptoms in young women.

OBJECTIVE: This current study examines the relationship between cohabitation and changes in bulimic symptoms in young adults. METHOD: A sample of 2601 initially noncohabitating adolescents was followed over a 5-year period and growth curve analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Females who over the course of the study moved in with a partner had greater decreases in bulimic symptoms compared with female noncohabitators. This difference was highly significant, even if small in size. No such effect was found in males. When examining the frequency of bulimic behaviors in females, the most socially unacceptable bulimic behaviors were those most reduced by cohabitation, whereas less obtrusive bulimic behaviors were not reduced. CONCLUSION: The results give some indication that social control exercised in close relationships may account for decreased bulimic symptoms in female cohabitators. Further studies are needed to confirm the importance of social control and to examine how it affects symptom reduction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Sexual orientation as a risk factor for bulimic symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to examine whether sexual orientation predicts future bulimic symptoms and whether alleged risk factors associated with non-heterosexual sexual orientation explain the increased risk. METHOD: A nationally representative sample of Norwegian high school students (age 14-19; N=2,924) completed self-reports about bulimic symptoms by means of the Bulimic Investigatory Test-Edinborough (BITE), same-sex sexual experience, degree of sexual attraction to the same sex, and alleged risk factors. They were reexamined 5 years later (T2). RESULTS: Same-sex sexual experience before T1 increased the prevalence of bulimic symptoms at T2. Males who were attracted to the same sex at T1 had higher odds for bulimic symptoms compared with heterosexual males. These associations were still significant after controlling for initial bulimic symptoms and alleged risk factors. CONCLUSION: Same-sex sexual experience in both genders and non-heterosexual sexual attraction among males predict future bulimic symptoms. Commonly advocated explanations for this elevated risk were not supported.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Diagnosed and self-reported childhood abuse in national and regional samples of child and adolescent psychiatric patients: prevalences and correlates.

We investigated if rates of ICD-10 axis 5 abuse diagnoses in the total child psychiatric population in Norway were different from self-reported abuse at 12-18?years of age, and we investigated their respective correlates. Study 1: The official registers of the total child psychiatric population in Norway in the years 2000 and 2001 were analysed for rates and correlates of axis 5 diagnoses of sexual and physical abuse. Study 2: Self-reports of abuse and neglect in a representative clinical sample of 129 adolescents referred during the same period were analysed for rates and correlates Prevalence of diagnosed sexual abuse inside and outside the family was low (1.6% and 1.9%, respectively) in the total Norwegian clinical population, and physical abuse diagnoses were even lower (0.4%). Self-reports of abuse and neglect were much higher (60.2%). One-fourth (25.5%) of the adolescents reported more than one kind of abuse. Self-reports of abuse were associated with referral for depression, symptoms of depression and suicidal risk. Patients reporting physical abuse were more often intoxicated by alcohol, used solvents and cannabis, and scored higher on the Youth Self-Report externalizing syndrome. There is a large discrepancy between rates of ICD-10 axis 5 diagnoses of sexual and physical abuse and self-reports of such abuse. Childhood abuse needs more attention in clinical practice within child and adolescent psychiatry. Physical abuse needs to be addressed in particular.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Predictors of future anabolic androgenic steroid use.

PURPOSE: To prospectively study the stability of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use and predictors of AAS use, and to investigate whether AAS use alters the risk of later emotional and behavioral problems. METHODS: Survey of a national sample of Norwegian high school students (age 15-19) in 1994 followed up in 1999 (N = 2924). Measures of frequent alcohol intoxication (50+ times per 12 months), cannabis use (12 months), hard drug use (12 months), being offered cannabis, eating problems, conduct problems, sexual debut before age 15, BMI, involvement in power sports, perceived physical appearance, and satisfaction with body parts were obtained. RESULTS: Life-time prevalence of AAS use were 1.9 and 0.8% in the follow-up period. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that future AAS use was predicted by young age, male gender, previous AAS use, involvement in power sports, and frequent alcohol intoxication. AAS use did not predict future emotional or behavioral problems other than reducing the risk of future frequent alcohol intoxication. CONCLUSION: Frequent alcohol intoxication and involvement in power sports appear to predict future AAS use. At the population level there was little stability in individual AAS use from adolescence to early adulthood. No detrimental effects of AAS use could be detected in this study, but low statistical power limits this conclusion.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Intoxicants and suicidal behaviour among adolescents: changes in levels and associations from 1992 to 2002.

AIMS: To assess whether a substantial increase in substance use over a 10-year period has had an impact on the level of, or associations with, non-fatal suicidal behaviour among Norwegian teenagers. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two cross-sectional school surveys applying identical procedures and measures in 1992 and 2002, using national samples comprising 11 000 and 12 000 13-19-year-old students. FINDINGS: A significant proportion of the increase in the prevalence of attempted suicide among girls could be attributed to the increase in substance use, taking into account other risk and protective factors. Among boys no net increase in the prevalence of attempted suicide was observed, and the impact of substance use on suicidal behaviour was lower in 2002 than in 1992. Yet, it also appeared that unobserved protective factors may have countered the impact of increased substance use among boys. For both genders a larger fraction of attempted suicides was attributable to alcohol intoxication than to use of any other substance. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in use of alcohol and drugs may not necessarily be reflected in changes in the level of suicidal behaviour. Further studies applying other data sources and designs are warranted to supplement and validate the present findings.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents: different factors contribute to self-esteem.

Some risk and protective factors differ in their importance to suicidal and nonsuicidal people. In this research we explore the cross-sectional differences between risk factors among suicidal adolescents and nonsuicidal adolescents by focusing on self-esteem. Sixty-five suicidal and 390 nonsuicidal adolescents were compared on Harter's Self-Perceived Profile for Adolescents, self-concept stability, seeking support, loneliness, and depression. Self-concept stability, loneliness, and peer support correlated differently with self-esteem. In multivariate regression analyses, variance in self-esteem was explained by depression and loneliness, and among nonsuicidal adolescents also by self-concept stability, support, and competencies. Loneliness and self-concept stability related differently to self-esteem in suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents. When the aim is to enhance self-esteem, this difference may delineate suicidal subgroups that need special interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Changes in referrals to child and adolescent psychiatric services in Norway 1992--2001.

BACKGROUND: The study analyzes changes in types of problems referred to child and adolescent psychiatry in Norway from 1992 to 2001, and investigates if referral practices and media attention account for these changes. METHOD: All referrals to child and adolescent psychiatry in Norway in the period 1992--2001 were analyzed, as well as frequencies of articles in media on psychiatric problems. RESULTS: The shares of referrals for sadness/depression increased from 0.5 % to 15.4 %. Referrals for hyperactivity/attention problems increased from 1.2 % to 13.6 %. The increases could be statistically attributed to decreased use of other referral categories, and/or alternatively to media attention on these and related topics. Convergence between diagnosis and corresponding referral problem increased in the period. CONCLUSIONS: Referrals for sadness/depression and hyperactivity/attention problems increased sharply in Norway during the 1990s. This increase may be attributed to a different understanding of and a sharper look at these problems by referral agencies and by increased media attention.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Self-reported behavioural/emotional problems in Norwegian adolescents from multiethnic areas.

Self-reported behavioural/emotional problems were studied in 2647 15-18-year-old high school students by Youth Self-Report (YSR), Symptom Checklist (SCL-12) and a Conduct Problem scale. The response rate was 85%. The respondents were from three ethnic groups in northern Norway: indigenous Sami, Kvens (descendants of Finnish-speaking immigrants from northern Finland and Sweden) and Norwegians. Females' mean scores were higher than males' scores for Total Problems [47.2 (SD 19.3) vs. 40.9 (SD 19.4)], Internalising Problems, the Internalising syndrome scales and the Attention Problems scale. Males' mean scores were higher than females' scores for Delinquent Behaviour. There were few differences between the ethnic groups, but Sami had higher scores than Norwegians for the Withdrawn and Social Problems syndromes. Parental status (whether parents were living together) was weakly associated with Total Problems, Internalising and Externalising Problems, while age, socioeconomic status and urban/rural location were not associated with the problem scales. Results for Anxiety-depression (SCL-12) and Conduct Problems were compared with a national representative adolescent sample (n = 4567), showing slight differences between the samples in Anxiety-depression (with north Norwegian adolescents having lower scores) and no significant differences in Conduct Problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Older adolescents' positive attitudes toward younger adolescents as sexual partners.

The prevalence of older adolescents' positive attitudes toward younger sexual partners was investigated through three measures of self-reported hypothetical likelihood of having sex with preadolescents and younger adolescents (LSA), using a school-based cluster sample of 710 Norwegian 18- to 19-year-olds attending nonvocational high schools in Oslo. Some likelihood of having sex with a preadolescent (less than 12 years of age) was reported by 5.9% of the males. The 19.1% of the males who indicated some likelihood of having sex with a 13- to 14-year old, compared to those who did not, reported more high-frequency drinking, more alcohol-related problems, earlier sexual initiation, more conduct problems, and poorer psychosocial adjustment. This subgroup also reported more high-frequency use of pornography, having more friends with an interest in child pornography and violent pornography, and greater use of coercion to obtain sexual favors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Gender differences in changes in and stability of conduct problems from early adolescence to early adulthood.

The present paper examines whether there are gender differences in changes in the aggregate level and individual stability of conduct problems from early adolescence to early adulthood. We analysed self-reported data collected as part of a longitudinal general population study of Norwegian adolescents (n = 1,234). The analyses showed that involvement in conduct problems for both genders peaked in mid-adolescence. The extent to which this peak reflected changes in the number of participants or differences in the frequency of problems among the participants varied according to gender. In most cases, the individual stability of involvement in conduct problems was similar for girls and boys. However, in the long term, relative involvement was more stable for boys than for girls. Moreover, the proportion of boys who showed a high level of involvement both during adolescence and early adulthood was greater than for girls.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Psychosocial correlates of depressive symptoms among 12-14-year-old Norwegian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between various psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. METHODS: A representative sample of 2,465 12-14-year-old adolescents comprising 50.8% girls and 49.2% boys, with a mean age of 13.7 years, was recruited in two counties in Norway. The participation rate was 88.3%. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). RESULTS: Correlations between the total sum of stressful events/daily hassles and the total sum of MFQ were moderately high, rs = .49 and rs = .53, respectively. Depressive symptoms were more strongly correlated with school-related stress among boys than girls, whereas the correlation between daily hassles and depressive symptoms was higher for girls than boys. The results of univariate analyses showed significantly higher mean total MFQ scores among adolescents not living with both natural parents, those who had moved more than twice and those with more than 3 siblings orhaving fewer than 2 close friends. Further, adolescents from Third World societies and adopted adolescents, those from lower SES groups, having unemployed parents or living in coastal areas had higher mean depressive symptom scores. The results of multiple regression analyses yielded the following six significant predictors of total MFQ scores in order of importance: Sum of daily hassles and sum of stressful life events, gender, number of friends, ethnicity and mother's employment status. Altogether, these variables accounted for 43% of the total variance in MFQ scores. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that these psychosocial predictors should be addressed when assessing depressive symptoms in early adolescence. The findings of the study are discussed in view of previous research in the field and their clinical significance.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Sexual orientation and suicide attempt: a longitudinal study of the general Norwegian adolescent population.

Past and future suicide attempt rates among gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) young people were compared with those of heterosexual young people. A sample of Norwegian students (N = 2.924; grades 7-12) was followed in 3 data collection waves. Risk factors included previous suicide attempt,depressed mood, eating problems, conduct problems, early sexual debut, number of sexual partners, pubertal timing, self-concept, alcohol and drug use, atypical gender roles, loneliness, peer relations, social support, parental attachment, parental monitoring, and suicidal behavior among family and friends. When homosexual attraction, homosexual identity, and same-sex sexual behavior were entered to predict suicide attempt, only same-sex sexual behavior was significantly predictive. The increased odds could not be attributed to GLB students' greater exposure to risk factors for suicide attempt.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Do the risk factors associated with conduct problems in adolescents vary according to gender?

The present paper examines whether there are gender differences in the associations between conduct problems and risk factors such as family conditions, peer influence, leisure activities, school-related variables and pubertal timing. We analysed self-reported data collected as part of a large general population study of Norwegian adolescents (N=9342). On the basis of earlier studies, conduct problems were decomposed into three dimensions, labelled theft and vandalism, school opposition and covert behaviour. The first dimension includes different kinds of theft and vandalism, whereas the second includes school-related conduct problems of an overt aggressive kind. The last dimension reflects avoidance of arenas under adult control. Whether or not gender differences were detected depended on the aspect of conduct problems considered. The associations between risk factors and "theft and vandalism" and "school opposition" were stronger for boys than for girls. No gender differences were detected in the associations between and risk factors and "covert behaviour". Even though there were gender differences in the strength of these associations, the same risk factors seem to be relevant in explaining conduct problems for both gender groups.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Insecure attachment as a risk factor for future depressive symptoms in early adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether insecure attachment is a predictor of subsequent depressive symptoms among adolescents 12-14 years of age, when controlled for depressive levels the preceding year, various demographic and psychosocial factors, and stressful life events. METHOD: A representative sample of 2,360 young adolescents was assessed at two time points 1 year apart. Measures included were depressive symptoms measured by the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ), attachment to parents and friends measured by the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, stressful events, and various sociodemographic factors. The initial response rate was 88.3% and the attrition rate was 4.3%. RESULTS: The proportions of high scorers (MFQ > 33) increased threefold from T1 to T2 (3.4% to 10.9%). Results of multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the following variables at T1 were predictive of depressive symptoms at T2 : severe depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 5.30), gender (OR = 4.08), attachment to parents (OR = 1.36), and stressful life events (OR = 1.12). No interactions between attachment and severe depressive symptoms and gender and stressful life events, respectively, were found. CONCLUSIONS: Insecure attachment to parents may contribute to the development of severe depressive symptoms among young adolescents. Improving the adolescent-parent relationship could be a focus for interventions both in community services and in clinical work.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Structure of conduct problems in adolescence.

Scholars disagree about whether adolescent conduct problems (CPs) form a single behavioral syndrome or whether such problems are better conceptualized as different dimensions. The arguments raised by both sides are addressed and tested empirically by analysing data from a large general population sample of Norwegian adolescents (n = 9,342). Confirmatory factor analyses show that a single syndrome of CPs may be subdivided into three highly correlated factors. The first dimension, destructive covert, includes theft and vandalism, whereas the second, nondestructive covert, reflects avoidance of arenas under adult control. The last dimension, overt, includes school opposition and fighting. This three-factor model fits well for both girls and boys, and individuals in their early and late teens. Results from scale analyses are modestly to moderately indicative of a developmental continuum of severity of CPs ranging from nondestructive covert to overt to destructive covert. Taken together the findings imply that both a unidimensional and a multidimensional perspective on CPs are applicable in the general youth population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Explaining the gender difference in self-reported suicide attempts: a nationally representative study of Norwegian adolescents.

Predictors of self-reported suicide attempts were studied cross-sectionally and prospectively in order to discern which variables may account for the gender difference in such reports. A representative sample of Norwegian students (N= 9,679) in grades 7-12 were followed from 1992 to 1994. More girls (10.4%) than boys (6.0%) reported a previous attempt and more girls (3.3%) than boys (1.9%) reported an attempt during the study period. The gender difference in previous suicide attempts was significantly reduced when depressed mood was controlled, and was no longer significant when disordered eating was included. There was no gender difference in future attempts when previous attempts, depressed mood, physical appearance, pubertal timing, and romantic involvement were controlled. Girls' higher level of risk factors may account for their higher level of self-reported nonfatal suicidal behavior.

Adolescent↗