Co-Occurring Mental Health Symptoms in Urban Adolescents: Comorbidity Profiles and Correlates

ABSTRACT

Objective

To identify subgroups of urban youth based on their self- and teacher-reported mental health symptoms, and to explore characteristics of these subgroups.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from 426 eighth-grade students (M_age = 13.22 years; 70.1% Black/African American; 58.7% female) across 20 Baltimore City public schools were analyzed using latent profile analysis and latent regressions. Variables for latent profile analysis included self-reported symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, trauma, interpersonal issues, social problems, and behavioral dysfunction) and teacher-reported symptoms (i.e., externalizing, internalizing, and problems in social and emotional competence). Regressions used profile membership to predict trauma exposure, coping mechanisms, and substance use.

Results

A 3-profile solution was found from the latent profile analysis. The profile with high student- and teacher-reported symptoms had more trauma exposures, greater use of maladaptive coping mechanisms, and higher substance use.

Conclusions

The current study may help in the identification of urban youth who are at risk of developing multiple co-occurring psychological disorders to target for prevention efforts.

Acknowledgments

The parent study from which the data for the current study were collected was supported by grants from IES (Grant #: R305A160082, PI: Tamar Mendelson, PhD) and NICHD (Grant #: 1R01HD090022; PI: Tamar Mendelson, PhD). L.W. received support through a training grant from NIDA (Grant #: 5T32DA007292-25, PI: Renee Johnson, PhD). The funders did not play a role in the design or conduct of the current study; analysis and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [1R01HD090022]; National Institute on Drug Abuse [5T32DA007292-25]; Institute of Education Sciences (IES) [R305A160082].