Developmental aspects of psychiatric disorders may be inferred from patterns of age differences in prevalence. Age-specific prevalences are provided for nine disorders in a general population sample of ages 10-20. Age and gender patterns for several disorders suggest developmental stage-associated risks. These include oppositional disorder in both genders and conduct disorder and major depression in girls. Major depression shows a pattern suggestive of a role for the onset of puberty. The prevalence of one or more disorders did not differ by age or gender. However, the pattern of specific diagnoses varied greatly by both age and gender.

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Estimates of population attributable risk indicated that physicians actually provided services to more persons with depressive symptoms than to persons with formally defined conditions of depressive disorders. Subclinical depression, as a consequence of high prevalence, is a clinical and public health problem. Attention to diagnostic and treatment issues is indicated.

Estimates of population attributable risk indicated that physicians actually provided services to more persons with depressive symptoms than to persons with formally defined conditions of depressive disorders. Subclinical depression, as a consequence of high prevalence, is a clinical and public health problem. Attention to diagnostic and treatment issues is indicated.

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SynopsisNinety-one per cent of a county-wide high school population (N= 5596) completed the Eating Symptoms Inventory (ESI) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). Being female, older and heavier are far more strongly associated with anorexic and bulimic symptoms than is social class. ESI approximations of the DSM-III criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia suggest that while both conditions are rare (less than 1%), bulimia is the more prevalent disorder.

Reports of differences among schools in emotional and social climate were related to changes in behavioral and emotional problems and alcohol use in students who remained in these schools over a 2-year interval. Four dimensions of school climate were examined. School conflict and social facilitation were shown to be related to increases in childhood psychopathology, whereas student autonomy was not. Effects of academic focus were even stronger than those of conflict, in the sense of being independently related to more syndromes. School climate effects were examined for conditionality on student characteristics and for synergism, It was concluded that intervention to alter the school climate may promote the emotional and behavioral well-being of children and adolescents.