Helping Agency Contact for Emotional Problems in Childhood and Early Adolescence and the Risk of Later Disorder

Abstract

Despite waning enthusiasm for labelling theories in the development of psychopathology, it has been claimed that contact with professional agencies in childhood can be associated with increased levels of later problem behaviour. In this study, help-seeking by parents for children with behaviour problems was examined using birth cohort followed longitudinally to age 15 years. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that agency contact increased the risk of later mental health disorder, either in childhood or adolescence. Rather, the results suggested that help-seeking was associated with reduction in both the risk of DSM-III disorder and problem behaviour scores, up to five years after agency contact.