Floor VA van Oort

Publications (35) View all

• Article: Does the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) measure anxiety symptoms consistently across adolescence? The TRAILS study.

  Christina M Mathyssek, Thomas M Olino, Catharina A Hartman, Johan Ormel, Frank C Verhulst, Floor V A Van Oort
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  ABSTRACT: We assessed if the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) measures anxiety symptoms similarly across age groups within adolescence. This is crucial for valid comparison of anxiety levels between different age groups. Anxiety symptoms were assessed biennially in a representative population sample (n = 2226) at three time points (age range 10-17 years) using the RCADS anxiety subscales (generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], panic disorder [PD], separation anxiety [SA], social phobia [SP]). We examined longitudinal measurement invariance of the RCADS, using longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis, by examining the factor structure (configural invariance), factor loadings (metric invariance) and thresholds (strong invariance). We found that all anxiety subtypes were configural invariant. Metric invariance held for items on the GAD, OCD, PD and SA subscales; yet, for the SP subscale three items showed modest longitudinal variation at age 10-12. Model fit decreased modestly when enforcing additional constraints across time; however, model fit for these models was still adequate to excellent. We conclude that the RCADS measures anxiety symptoms similarly across time in a general population sample of adolescents; hence, measured changes in anxiety symptoms very likely reflect true changes in anxiety levels. We consider the instrument suitable to assess anxiety levels across adolescence. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  International journal of methods in psychiatric research. 03/2013;
• Source

  Available from: Johan Ormel

  Article: Gender-Specific Developmental Trajectories of Anxiety during Adolescence: Determinants and Outcomes. The TRAILS Study.

  Jeroen S Legerstee, Frank C Verhulst, Sylvana C C Robbers, Johan Ormel, Albertine J Oldehinkel, Floor V A van Oort
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  ABSTRACT: To identify developmental trajectories of anxiety symptoms for adolescent girls and boys. Trajectories were compared with regard to early-adolescent risk factors and psychiatric outcomes during adolescence and in young adulthood. A community sample of 2,230 adolescents was assessed three times across a six-year interval (10-17 years). Symptom scores of anxiety were analyzed with growth mixture models, stratified by gender. Three gender-specific anxiety trajectories were identified for both girls (93.3% low, 4.1% mid-adolescence limited, 2.6% mid-adolescence increasing) and boys (84.4% low, 9.5% mid-adolescence limited, 6.1% early-adolescence decreasing). Child, family and peer factors at baseline predicted group membership of the mid-adolescence limited anxiety trajectory and the early-adolescence decreasing anxiety trajectory in boys. Parental emotional problems predicted the early-adolescence anxiety increase trajectory in girls. Prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression during adolescence and in early adulthood was higher in both the mid-adolescence limited and the mid-adolescence anxiety increase trajectory. The longitudinal course of anxiety symptoms during adolescence was characterized by three distinct gender-specific developmental trajectories. The most at-risk trajectory in girls was the mid-adolescence anxiety increase trajectory, and in boys the mid-adolescence limited trajectory. None of the environmental (i.e., child, family and peer) factors distinguished the at-risk trajectories from the other trajectories.
  Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l'Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent 02/2013; 22(1):26-34.
• Article: Structured shared decision-making using dialogue and visualization: A randomized controlled trial.

  George M A Westermann, Fop Verheij, Bjorn Winkens, Frank C Verhulst, Floor V A Van Oort
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  ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate a method, "Counseling in Dialogue" (CD), developed to increase the quality of counseling in youth mental health. Decisional conflict was used as indicator of the quality of counseling and shared decision-making. METHODS: 94 children aged 2-12 years were randomized into a CD group and a care as usual (CU) group. In a before-and-after design decisional conflict was measured using the decisional conflict scale (DCS) for parents (N=133) and the Provider Decision Process Assessment Instrument for therapists (PDPAI, N=20). 81 children had follow-up data. RESULTS: Compared with parents of the CU group, parents of the CD group reported significantly less decisional conflict after counseling (difference mothers: -0.38 (95%CI -0.56; -0.19), p<.001; fathers: -0.22 (95%CI -0.44; -0.01), p=.045). 98% of the mothers and 96% of the fathers in the CD group accepted the recommended treatment, compared to 71% (fathers) and 77% (mothers) in the CU group, p<0.05. Decisional conflict of the therapists was low in both groups after counseling (difference: -0.03 (95%CI -0.19; 0.14), p=.741). CONCLUSION: The counseling procedure significantly lowered decisional conflict of the parents and promoted the acceptance of the recommended treatment.
  Patient Education and Counseling 10/2012; · 2.31 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Johan Ormel

  Article: The TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS): Design, Current Status, and Selected Findings.

  Johan Ormel, Albertine J Oldehinkel, Jelle Sijtsema, Floor van Oort, Dennis Raven, Rene Veenstra, Wilma A M Vollebergh, Frank C Verhulst
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  ABSTRACT: The objectives of this study were as follows: to present a concise overview of the sample, outcomes, determinants, non-response and attrition of the ongoing TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), which started in 2001; to summarize a selection of recent findings on continuity, discontinuity, risk, and protective factors of mental health problems; and to document the development of psychopathology during adolescence, focusing on whether the increase of problem behavior often seen in adolescence is a general phenomenon or more prevalent in vulnerable teens, thereby giving rise to diverging developmental pathways. The first and second objectives were achieved using descriptive statistics and selective review of previous TRAILS publications; and the third objective by analyzing longitudinal data on internalizing and externalizing problems using Linear Mixed Models (LMM). The LMM analyses supported the notion of diverging pathways for rule-breaking behaviors but not for anxiety, depression, or aggression. Overall, rule-breaking (in both genders) and withdrawn/depressed behavior (in girls) increased, whereas aggression and anxious/depressed behavior decreased during adolescence. TRAILS has produced a wealth of data and has contributed substantially to our understanding of mental health problems and social development during adolescence. Future waves will expand this database into adulthood. The typical development of problem behaviors in adolescence differs considerably across both problem dimensions and gender. Developmental pathways during adolescence suggest accumulation of risk (i.e., diverging pathways) for rule-breaking behavior. However, those of anxiety, depression and aggression slightly converge, suggesting the influence of counter-forces and changes in risk unrelated to initial problem levels and underlying vulnerability.
  Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 10/2012; 51(10):1020-36. · 4.98 Impact Factor
• Article: Ethnic differences in problem perception and perceived need for care for young children with problem behaviour.

  Floor Bevaart, Cathelijne L Mieloo, Wilma Jansen, Hein Raat, Marianne C H Donker, Frank C Verhulst, Floor V A van Oort
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  ABSTRACT: Background:  Problem perception and perceived need for professional care are important determinants that can contribute to ethnic differences in the use of mental health care. Therefore, we studied ethnic differences in problem perception and perceived need for professional care in the parents and teachers of 5- to 6-year-old children from the general population who were selected for having emotional and behavioural problems. Methods:  A cross-sectional study with data of 10,951 children from grade two of the elementary schools in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area, the Netherlands. Parents and teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as well as questions on problem perception and perceived need for care. The SDQ was used to identify children with emotional and behavioural problems. We included Dutch, Surinamese, Antillean, Moroccan and Turkish children in our sample with high (>P90) SDQ scores (N = 1,215), who were not currently receiving professional care for their problems. Results:  Amongst children with high SDQ scores, problem perception was lower in non-Dutch parents than in Dutch parents (49% vs. 81%, p < 0.01). These lower rates of problem perception could not be explained by differences in socioeconomic position or severity of the problems. No ethnic differences were found in parental perceived need and in problem perception and perceived need reported by teachers. Higher levels of problem perception and perceived need were reported by teachers than by parents in all ethnic groups (PP: 87% vs. 63% and PN: 48% vs. 23%). Conclusions:  Child health professionals should be aware of ethnic variations in problem perception as low problem perception in parents of non-Dutch children may lead to miscommunication and unmet need for professional care for the child.
  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 06/2012; 53(10):1063-71. · 4.28 Impact Factor