This study describes the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in the offspring of parents who are members of the Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis Support Group in South Australia. The results suggest that the offspring of adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder do not have more problems than other children and adolescents in the community. The study also highlights potential benefits of collaborative research conducted by research groups and self-help organisations.
References
1.
JoffeRTSwinsonRPReganJJ. Personality features of obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry1988; 145: 1127–1129.
2.
KarnoMGoldingJSorensonSBurnamMA. The epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in five US communities. Archives of General Psychiatry1988; 45: 1094–1099.
3.
RegirDBoydJBurkeJRaeDMyersJKrapnerMRobinsLGeorgeLKarnoMLockeB. One-month prevalence of mental disorder in the United States. Archives of General Psychiatry1988; 45: 977–986.
4.
HafnerJRMillerRJ. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: an exploration of some unresolved clinical issues. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry1990; 24: 480–485.
WeissmanMMGammonLDJohnKMerikangasKRWarnerVPursoffBASholomskasD. Children of depressed parents. Archives of General Psychiatry1987; 44: 847–853.
7.
CaninoGJBirdHRRubio-StipecMBravoMAlegriaM. Children of parents with psychiatric disorder in the community. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry1990; 29: 398–406.
8.
AdamsonPTillerJWG. An Aspect of a childhood: Being reared by a sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder. Mental Health in Australia1990; 15–20.
9.
RapoportJL. Childhood obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry1986; 27: 289–295.
10.
RapoportJL. The biology of obsessions and compulsions. Scientific American1989:63–69.
11.
LevyF. Obsessive compulsive disorders 1: Children. In: KoskyRJEshkevariHSCarrVJ, eds. Mental Health and Illness. A Textbook for Students of Health Sciences. Sydney: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991:208–209.
12.
JuddL. Obsessive compulsive neurosis in children. Archives of General Psychiatry1965; 12: 136–144.
13.
BergCRapoportJFalmentM. The Leyton obsessional inventory — Child version. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry1986; 25: 84–91.
14.
FlamentMRapoportJBergCScreeyWKiltsCMellstrommBLinnoilaM. Clomipramine treatment of childhood obsessive compulsive disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry1985; 42: 977–983.
15.
LeonardHLRapoportJL. Pharmacotherapy of childhood obsessive disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America1989; 12: 963–970.
16.
SawyerMG. Childhood Behaviour Problems: Discrepancies Between Reports from Children, Parents and Teachers. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of Adelaide.
17.
SawyerMGSarrisABaghurstPACornishCAKalucyRA. The prevalence of emotional and behaviour disorders and patterns of service utilisation in children and adolescents. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry1990; 24: 323–330.
18.
SawyerMGBaghurstPMathiasJ. Discrepancies between informants’ reports describing emotional and behavioural problems in community and clinic-referred children. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (in press).
19.
AchenbachTMEdelbrockC. Manual for the child behavior checklist and revised child behavior profile. Burlington VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, 1983.
20.
AchenbachTMEdelbrockC. Manual for the youth self-report and profile. Burlington VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, 1987.
21.
SanavioE. Obsessions and compulsions: the Padua Inventory. Behaviour Research and Therapy1988; 26: 169–177.
22.
DillmanDA. Mail and telephone surveys. The total design method. New York: Wiley, 1978.
23.
DeebleEACrispAHLaceyJHBhatAV. A comparison of woman seeking self-help and psychiatric treatment in anorexia nervosa and bulimia. British Journal of Medical Psychology1990; 63: 65–72.
24.
YoungJWilliamsCL. Whom do mutual-help groups help? A typology of members. Hospital and Community Psychiatry1988; 39: 1178–1182.
25.
Institute of Medicine. In: Research on Children and Adolescents with Mental, Behavioral and Developmental Disorders. Washington: National Academy Press, 1989.
26.
DanielA. Power, privilege and prestige: occupations in Australia. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 1983.
