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A Further Look at the Prognostic Power of Young Children's Reports of Depressed Mood and Feelings
Author(s) -
Ialongo Nicholas S.,
Edelsohn Gail,
Kellam Sheppard G.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00312
Subject(s) - feeling , psychology , psychopathology , mood , suicidal ideation , clinical psychology , mental health , population , mood disorders , psychiatry , developmental psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , anxiety , medicine , social psychology , medical emergency , environmental health
A primary objective of the present study was to determine the validity of first graders' self‐reports of depressed mood and feelings. To that end, the prognostic power of first grade self‐reports of depressed mood and feelings was examined with respect to later psychopathology and adaptive functioning in a population of urban school children ( N = 946). First grade self‐reports of depressed mood predicted later child academic functioning, the need for and use of mental health services, suicidal ideation, and a diagnosis of major depressive disorder by age 14. The prognostic power of these early self‐reports suggests that children as young as 5 or 6 years of age are capable of providing valid reports of depressed mood and feelings.