Biomedical subjects

Sheppard G Kellam

Publications and source records attributed to Sheppard G Kellam.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Developmentally inspired drug prevention: middle school outcomes in a school-based randomized prevention trial.

Prior investigations have linked behavioral competencies in primary school to a reduced risk of later drug involvement. In this randomized prevention trial, we sought to quantify the potential early impact of two developmentally inspired universal preventive interventions on the risk of early-onset alcohol, inhalant, tobacco, and illegal drug use through early adolescence. Participants were recruited as they entered first grade within nine schools of an urban public school system. Approximately, 80% of the sample was followed from first to eighth grades. Two theory-based preventive interventions, (1) a family-school partnership (FSP) intervention and (2) a classroom-centered (CC) intervention, were developed to improve early risk behaviors in primary school. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) multivariate response profile regressions were used to estimate the relative profiles of drug involvement for intervention youths versus controls, i.e. youth in the standard educational setting. Relative to control youths, intervention youths were less likely to use tobacco, with modestly stronger evidence of protection associated with the CC intervention (RR=0.5; P=0.008) as compared to protection associated with the FSP intervention (RR=0.6; P=0.042). Intervention status was not associated with risk of starting alcohol, inhalants, or marijuana use, but assignment to the CC intervention was associated with reduced risk of starting to use other illegal drugs by early adolescence, i.e. heroin, crack, and cocaine powder (RR=0.32, P=0.042). This study adds new evidence on intervention-associated reduced risk of starting illegal drug use. In the context of 'gateway' models, the null evidence on marijuana is intriguing and merits attention in future investigations.

Child↗

PubMed2004

Major depressive disorder in a population of urban, African-American young adults: prevalence, correlates, comorbidity and unmet mental health service need.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Surgeon General recently highlighted the relative dearth of research on the mental health of minority populations in the U.S. The present report describes the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in an epidemiologically-defined population of 1197, predominately poor, African-American 19-22-year-olds, living in the greater Baltimore, MD metropolitan area. METHODS: The prevalence and correlates of MDD, its comorbidity with other mental and substance disorders, and unmet mental health service need were assessed via a structured clinical interview administered by lay interviewers. RESULTS: Using DSM-IV criteria, the overall prevalence of lifetime MDD for the study population was 9.4%, whereas the last year and last month prevalences were 6.2 and 2.7%, respectively. Females were approximately 1.6 times more likely to report a lifetime episode of MDD than males. MDD was highly comorbid with substance disorders. Just under 10% of those who had experienced an episode of MDD within the last year reported receiving mental health specialty services within the last year. LIMITATIONS: A major limitation was the reliance on a single interview conducted by a lay interviewer as opposed to a comprehensive psychiatric assessment carried out by a highly trained clinician, integrating information on symptoms and functioning from multiple sources. CONCLUSIONS: The lifetime prevalence of MDD found in the present study suggests that it is a significant mental health problem in the African-American young adults studied, particularly amongst women. Moreover, most episodes of MDD went untreated.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Utility of TOCA-R scores during the elementary school years in identifying later violence among adolescent males.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of a teacher-rating instrument (TOCA-R) of aggressive behavior during elementary school years in identifying boys at risk for later violence. METHOD: A community epidemiological sample of 415 public school boys was rated at six time points during elementary school regarding their level of aggressive/disruptive behavior. Violence was measured using juvenile police and court records. RESULTS: The risk for later violence varied as a function of the boys' level of aggressive behavior. This relationship peaked in third grade, where more aggressive boys compared to less aggressive boys were twice as likely to commit later violent acts. In respect to identifying at-risk boys, three intervention scenarios were compared. When minimizing false positives, the optimal test was found in the fall of first grade, with 83% of the high-risk compared to 22% of the low-risk boys later having a violent arrest record. When minimizing false negatives, the optimal test was found in the spring of fourth grade (30% of the high-risk boys versus 0% of the low-risk boys). Focusing on both false positives and false negatives, the optimal test was found in the spring of third grade (52% of the high-risk boys versus 14% of the low-risk boys). CONCLUSIONS: Early levels of aggressive behavior are strong and robust predictors of later violence but are of limited utility in the early identification of boys at risk. Consequently, universal interventions followed by selected/indicated interventions based on a multistage assessment promise the highest utility in preventing youth violence. Future research is needed to identify other indicators that can strengthen the screening utility of aggressive behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

A framework for understanding "evidence" in prevention research and programs.

This report provides a multidimensional framework for understanding the meaning of evidence in prevention science. Six themes comprise the framework, each with impact on the meaning of evidence. (1) There are rigorous prevention scientific strategies now in use; each has shared but also unique requirements for the meaning of evidence. Some are directed at individuals, others at small social contexts, others at larger societal structures. (2) The phases of prevention research have shared but also unique requirements for evidence. These include efficacy, effectiveness, sustainability, going-to-scale, and sustaining programs systemwide. (3) Prevention programs address different segments of the population defined by levels of risk: the total population; a smaller subpopulation at increased risk; or a still smaller subpopulation at very high risk. The levels influence the meaning of evidence. (4) Economic analysis and economic evidence must become a central part of prevention research. These are needed for appropriate policy decision making and for assessing long-term benefits. (5) Collaboration is required for rigor in prevention research: including researchers, but also policy makers, program advocates and leaders, and community and institutional leaders. Broad ownership is critical for implementing rigorous research and for sustaining program fidelity. (6) Acceptance of a multidimensional framework for understanding "evidence" is essential across those agencies and institutions that carry out and/or use prevention science. The more widely the vision of the prevention field is shared, and the more the various qualities and rules of evidence are accepted and implemented, the better the quality will be of prevention research and programs.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

PubMed2002

A randomized controlled trial of two primary school intervention strategies to prevent early onset tobacco smoking.

In this article, we examine the impact of two universal, grade 1 preventive interventions on the onset of tobacco smoking as assessed in early adolescence. The classroom-centered (CC) intervention was designed to reduce the risk for tobacco smoking by enhancing teachers' behavior management skills in first grade and, thereby, reducing child attention problems and aggressive and shy behavior-known risk behaviors for later substance use. The family-school partnership (FSP) intervention targeted these early risk behaviors via improvements in parent-teacher communication and parents' child behavior management strategies. A cohort of 678 urban, predominately African-American, public school students were randomly assigned to one of three Grade 1 classrooms at entrance to primary school (age 6). One classroom featured the CC intervention, a second the FSP intervention, and the third served as a control classroom. Six years later, 81% of the students completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews. Relative to controls, a modest attenuation in the risk of smoking initiation was found for students who had been assigned to either the CC or FSP intervention classrooms (26% versus 33%) (adjusted relative risk for CC/control contrast=0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-0.96; adjusted relative risk for FSP/control contrast=0.69, 95% CI, 0.50-0.97). Results lend support to targeting the early antecedent risk behaviors for tobacco smoking.

Child↗

PubMed2002

General growth mixture modeling for randomized preventive interventions.

This paper proposes growth mixture modeling to assess intervention effects in longitudinal randomized trials. Growth mixture modeling represents unobserved heterogeneity among the subjects using a finite-mixture random effects model. The methodology allows one to examine the impact of an intervention on subgroups characterized by different types of growth trajectories. Such modeling is informative when examining effects on populations that contain individuals who have normative growth as well as non-normative growth. The analysis identifies subgroup membership and allows theory-based modeling of intervention effects in the different subgroups. An example is presented concerning a randomized intervention in Baltimore public schools aimed at reducing aggressive classroom behavior, where only students who were initially more aggressive showed benefits from the intervention.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Barriers to children's mental health services.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics associated with barriers to children's mental health services, focusing on the effect of children's psychosocial problems on parents. METHOD: Data come from a first-grade, prevention-intervention project conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. Analyses were restricted to 116 families who participated in seventh-grade interviews and indicated the index child needed services. The Services Assessment for Children and Adolescents was used to measure barriers to children's mental health services. RESULTS: More than 35% of parents reported a barrier to mental health services. Types of barriers included those related to structural constraints, perceptions of mental health, and perceptions of services (20.7%, 23.3%, and 25.9%, respectively). Although parenting difficulties were associated with all barriers (structural: OR = 10.63, 95% CI: 2.37, 47.64; mental health: OR = 8.31, 95% CI: 1.99, 34.79; services: OR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.56, 17.51), additional responsibilities related to attendance at meetings was associated only with structural barriers (OR = 5.49, 95% CI: 1.22, 24.59). CONCLUSIONS: Researchers and policymakers interested in increasing children's access to mental health services should consider strategies to reduce barriers related to perceptions about mental health problems and services, in addition to structural barriers. Particular attention should be given to programs that focus on the needs of families who are most affected by their child's psychosocial problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Suicidal behavior among urban, African American young adults.

The objectives of the present study were four-fold. First, to determine the lifetime, last year, and 6-month prevalence and demographic correlates of suicidal behavior in a defined population of urban, African American young adults. Second, to determine the degree of mental health service utilization among attempters. Third, to study the comorbidity between mental disorders and suicidal behavior, along with the variation in the numbers and types of psychiatric disorders associated with attempts versus ideation only. Fourth, to examine gender differences in the psychiatric diagnoses associated with attempts and ideation. Data relevant to each of these objectives were gathered through structured interviews of 1,157 economically disadvantaged, African American young adults. Lifetime, last year, and 6-month prevalence rates for attempts were 5.3%, 1.2%, and 0.4%, respectively, whereas the lifetime and 6-month prevalence of ideation were 14% and 1.9%, respectively. Approximately two thirds of those who reported lifetime ideation, and a similar proportion of those who reported lifetime attempts, had a history of at least one lifetime psychiatric disorder. There were no gender differences in terms of the degree of risk for suicidal behavior (ideation or attempts) associated with any of the comorbid psychiatric diagnoses assessed. Despite the severity of most attempts, few attempters received mental health services in their lifetime or at the time of their most recent attempt.

Adult↗