TY - JOUR
T1 - The Italian preadolescent mental health project (PrISMA)
T2 - Rationale and methods
AU - Frigerio, Alessandra
AU - Vanzin, Laura
AU - Pastore, Valentina
AU - Nobile, Maria
AU - Giorda, Roberto
AU - Marino, Cecilia
AU - Molteni, Massimo
AU - Rucci, Paola
AU - Ammaniti, Massimo
AU - Lucarelli, Loredana
AU - Lenti, Carlo
AU - Walder, Mauro
AU - Martinuzzi, Andrea
AU - Carlet, Ombretta
AU - Muratori, Filippo
AU - Milone, Annarita
AU - Zuddas, Alessandro
AU - Cavolina, Pina
AU - Nardocci, Franco
AU - Tullini, Andrea
AU - Morosini, Pierluigi
AU - Polidori, Oabriella
AU - De Girolamo, Giovanni
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The Italian preadolescent mental health project (PrISMA - Progetto Italiano Salute Mentale Adolescenti) is the first Italian study designed to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in preadolescents (10-14 years old) living in urban areas, and to analyse the demographic and biological correlates of emotional and behavioural problems. This paper describes the rationale, methods and the analysis plan of the project. The design of the study used a two-stage sampling procedure, one screening stage of emotional and behavioural problems in a large sample of subjects attending public and private schools and a second stage of diagnostic assessment in a sample including all high scorers and a proportion of low scorers. In the screening stage, parents of preadolescents were asked to fill in the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), whereas in the second stage preadolescents and their parents were administered the Development and Well Being Assessment for the assessment of mental disorders together with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and two scales (C-GAS and HoNOSCA) designed to evaluate the functioning of the preadolescent in different areas. Genetic samples were collected during the screening stage, after parents gave their informed written consent. The findings of this study are expected to allow an adequate planning of interventions for the prevention and the treatment of mental disorders in preadolescence as well as efficient health services.
AB - The Italian preadolescent mental health project (PrISMA - Progetto Italiano Salute Mentale Adolescenti) is the first Italian study designed to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in preadolescents (10-14 years old) living in urban areas, and to analyse the demographic and biological correlates of emotional and behavioural problems. This paper describes the rationale, methods and the analysis plan of the project. The design of the study used a two-stage sampling procedure, one screening stage of emotional and behavioural problems in a large sample of subjects attending public and private schools and a second stage of diagnostic assessment in a sample including all high scorers and a proportion of low scorers. In the screening stage, parents of preadolescents were asked to fill in the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), whereas in the second stage preadolescents and their parents were administered the Development and Well Being Assessment for the assessment of mental disorders together with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and two scales (C-GAS and HoNOSCA) designed to evaluate the functioning of the preadolescent in different areas. Genetic samples were collected during the screening stage, after parents gave their informed written consent. The findings of this study are expected to allow an adequate planning of interventions for the prevention and the treatment of mental disorders in preadolescence as well as efficient health services.
KW - Genetic screening
KW - Mental disorders
KW - Preadolescence
KW - Prevalence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745429086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33745429086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/mpr.25
DO - 10.1002/mpr.25
M3 - Article
C2 - 16676683
AN - SCOPUS:33745429086
VL - 15
SP - 22
EP - 35
JO - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
JF - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
SN - 1049-8931
IS - 1
ER -