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AbstractObjectiveWe investigated the phenomenology of aggression in a group of psychiatrically referred children and in a comparison group of children.IntroductionChildren (N=275) were evaluated at a pediatric psychopharmacology clinic in an academic medical center and compared with 100 non-referred children from the community. To assess the influence of several predictors on the child's level of clinical impairment we conducted stepwise regression analyses.ResultsAggression occurred across many different psychiatric diagnoses in psychiatrically referred children. Aggression in referred children was more frequent, physical, intense, lasted for a longer duration per episode, was more resistant to intervention, and occurred at an earlier age of onset in contrast with comparison children. Controlling for psychiatric diagnosis and demographic variables, family income and number of aggressive episodes in the last 6 months were the only significant predictors of child impairment.DiscussionPhenomenologically, aggression may be more maladaptive in children with a psychiatric disorder compared with non-referred youths. These phenomenological differences in characteristics of aggression support the concept of an aggressive syndrome in psychiatrically referred children.ConclusionResults support the need for development of specific treatment interventions for excessive maladaptive aggression independent of psychiatric diagnosis in referred children and adolescents.

The purpose of this article was to determine whether the Stigma Receptivity Scale (SRS) predicts use of mental health services among community-dwelling bereaved older adults. We analyzed interviews of 135 people in Connecticut to evaluate whether three subscales and 12 SRS items were associated with access to any mental health service in the past 60 days using logistic regression analysis. Two SRS items predicted recent use of mental health services among bereaved individuals with and without complicated grief: receptivity to a bereavement support group (adjusted OR 5.14; 95% CI, 1.11, 23.85) and individuals who were not concerned about meeting criteria for a mental illness (adjusted OR 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.58). The SRS significantly predicted recent access to mental health treatment among bereaved elderly people. This type of measure could be used to determine those most likely in need of education and support to increase their likelihood of accessing mental health services.