Context Childhood depression is a serious and relapsing psychiatric disorder. However, to date studies have focused mostly on children aged 6 years and older. Validation for depression in preschool children has been provided by 2 independent study samples. While several studies have demonstrated stability and poor outcomes of internalizing symptoms in preschoolers, there has not yet been longitudinal data available to inform the course of preschool depression and whether it shows homotypic continuity into early childhood. Objective To examine the 24-month course of preschool depression and whether it showed homotypic vs heterotypic continuity or was a developmentally transient phenomenon. Design Blindly rated, prospective, 24-month, longitudinal follow-up study. Setting Community sites. Patients Three hundred six preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years recruited from community sites and oversampled for symptoms of depression. Main Outcome Measure Recurrence/stability of depression and predictors of course. Results Preschoolers with depression at baseline had the highest likelihood of subsequent depression 12 and/or 24 months later compared with preschoolers with no baseline disorder and with those who had other psychiatric disorders. Preschoolers with depression at baseline were more likely to have later depression rather than other psychiatric disorders. Findings from a logistic regression analysis indicated that when controlling for demographic variables, risk factors, and comorbid disorders, depression during the preschool period and family history of affective disorders were the most robust and significant predictors of later depression. Conclusions Preschool depression, similar to childhood depression, is not a developmentally transient syndrome but rather shows chronicity and/or recurrence. Homotypic continuity of preschool MDD during a 24-month period was found. These results underscore the clinical and public health importance of identification of depression as early as preschool. Further follow-up of preschoolers with depression is warranted to inform the longitudinal course throughout childhood.

Validation for preschool depression with associated functional impairment across contexts was found in preschool children. These findings replicate and extend earlier evidence for validity of MDD diagnosed in the preschool period and highlight the need for clinical attention. The finding that these depressed and impaired preschoolers were not yet developmentally delayed may have important public health significant significance as it suggests a possible window of opportunity for early intervention. Study findings were limited by reliance on parent and teacher informants and a cross-sectional view.

Survivor stories may be most effective when audience members identify with the survivor. Finding key characteristics that can reliably match the two will advance cancer communication science and practice.

Objective: The present study examined the course of ADHD over 24 months in a preschool population. Method: n = 48 preschoolers with ADHD, aged 3.0-5.11 years, subjects included in a larger sample of preschoolers with depression and other disorders (n = 306) were comprehensively assessed at 3 annual time points over 24 months in a prospective longitudinal follow-up study. Results: Baseline diagnoses of preschool MDD, ODD, and CD were risk factors for ADHD diagnosis over 24 months in this preschool population. Among older preschoolers and after controlling for key demographic variables, ADHD predicted later ADHD diagnosis, along with other significant risk factors -baseline diagnosis of ODD, and/or family history of disruptive disorders, and stressful life events. Conclusions: ADHD showed greater homotypic continuity at later rather than earlier preschool ages. Other disruptive comorbidities also emerged as key predictors of stable ADHD course. Study findings may help to inform which preschool ADHD populations to target for early intervention. Larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings and to further explore the stability, course, and predictors of outcome of preschool onset ADHD.

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Background The purpose of the Community Alliance for Research Empowering Social change (CARES) training program was to (1) train community members on evidence-based public health, (2) increase their scientific literacy, and (3) develop the infrastructure for community-based participatory research (CBPR). Objectives We assessed participant knowledge and evaluated participant satisfaction of the CARES training program to identify learning needs, obtain valuable feedback about the training, and ensure learning objectives were met through mutually beneficial CBPR approaches. Methods A baseline assessment was administered before the first training session and a follow-up assessment and evaluation was administered after the final training session. At each training session a pretest was administered before the session and a posttest and evaluation were administered at the end of the session. After training session six, a mid-training evaluation was administered. We analyze results from quantitative questions on the assessments, pre- and post-tests, and evaluations. Results CARES fellows knowledge increased at follow-up (75% of questions were answered correctly on average) compared with baseline (38% of questions were answered correctly on average) assessment; post-test scores were higher than pre-test scores in 9 out of 11 sessions. Fellows enjoyed the training and rated all sessions well on the evaluations. Conclusions The CARES fellows training program was successful in participant satisfaction and increasing community knowledge of public health, CBPR, and research method ology. Engaging and training community members in evidence-based public health research can develop an infrastructure for community–academic research partnerships.

ObjectiveDogs, like humans, experience eye changes with aging: hardening and clouding of the lens and accumulated oxidative damage from UV sunlight. It has been debated whether such changes could be affecting the visual function of dogs. The objective of this study was to determine if autorefractometry could be used to measure visual function in dogs.Animals and MethodsNine Beagle dogs (ages 1 to 14 years) were examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist and their eyes determined to be free of cataracts. Spherical equivalent refractive error was measured by handheld autorefractor (Welch Allyn SureSight) under both indirect and direct lighting conditions with five measurements per condition, per eye. Measures were repeated on three different days for each dog within six weeks. Nonparametric statistics were used to detect differences among lighting conditions and test days, and between eyes. Spearmen correlation assessed the visual measurement outcomes’ association with age.ResultsThere was no difference for day-to-day or between-eye measurements. Significantly, the Beagles showed a myopic shift with aging (average spherical equivalent ranged from plano to -3.00 diopters), suggesting that dogs become more near-sighted as they age (r = -0.48 and -0.73 under direct and indirect lights; p<0.05 both). Younger dogs were able to make larger accommodation changes from indirect light to direct light conditions, indicating a more flexible lens (r = -0.50, p<0.05).ConclusionsAlthough designed for humans, the hand-held autorefractor technique is applicable to dogs and sensitive to light conditions. The age-associated myopic shift could be expected to compromise dogs’ visual functions.

Residential segregation has been shown to be associated with health outcomes and health care utilization. We examined the association between racial composition of five physical environments throughout the life course and adequate health literacy among 836 community health center patients in Suffolk County, NY. Respondents who attended a mostly White junior high school or currently lived in a mostly White neighborhood were more likely to have adequate health literacy compared to those educated or living in predominantly minority or diverse environments. This association was independent of the respondent’s race, ethnicity, age, education, and country of birth.