Introduction to Adolescence and Its Disorders 191Box 23.1Isle of Wight follow-up (Rutteret al., 1976)Method
A total population sample of 2,303 adolescents living on the Isle of Wight were
studied using a two-stage design: all subjects were assessed by behavioural
screening questionnaires completed by parents and teachers; full psychiatric
assessments were carried out on all ‘screen positive’ individuals and a random
sample of ‘screen negative’ individuals. Most of the subjects had also been
studied four years earlier in the original Isle of Wight study, though some were
newcomers.Main findings
1 Judging from the information gathered from parents and teachers, definite
psychiatric disorders were present in roughly 10% of the sample – only
slightly higher than the rate in middle childhood. In addition, another 10%
of adolescents reported marked internal feelings of misery and worthless-
ness that were not accompanied by significant outward changes. Was this
covert depression? Only long-term follow-up can answer the key question
as to whether covert adolescent misery is the precursor of overt adult
depression.
2 Of the disorders that were evident to informants, most were emotional and
conduct disorders. Depressive disorders were commoner than at ten: 2% rather
than 0.2%. (Self-reported misery was much commoner still: 48% of girls, 42%
of boys.) School refusal was also commoner at age 14 than at age 10, occurring
as part of wider anxiety and affective disorders.
3 Just under half of the children with disorders at age 14 had already had a
disorder when assessed at age 10. Disorders arising for the first time after the
age of 10 differed in three main ways from early-onset disorders: (a) they were
not associated with educational difficulties; (b) there was only a slight male
excess; and (c) adverse family factors were less often present.
4 Only a minority of adolescents were alienated from their parents (as judged
by rows, physical and emotional withdrawal and rejection). Alienation was
particularly common when the young person had a psychiatric disorder
(especially if this was chronic). Although alienation dating back to middle or
early childhood did seem to be linked to psychiatric disorders beginning after
the age of 10, alienation beginning in the teenage years was not a common
cause of psychiatric disorder.Further reading
Graham P. (2004)The End of Adolescence. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
(A leading child and adolescent psychiatrist argues that our society’s sys-
tematic negative stereotyping of adolescence has contributed to young
people being marginalised and disempowered.)
Magnusson Eet al.(1985) Biological maturation and social development: A
longitudinal study of some adjustment processes from mid-adolescence