Longitudinal Prediction of Mental Health and Life Quality of Young Adults and Long-term Efficacy of a Universal Prevention Program
Funded by the German Research Foundation [DFG; JO 1632/1-1]
Project management: Dr Ann-Katrin Job
Prevalence rates of emotional and behavioural problems in young adulthood
The annual prevalence rate of mental disorders in adulthood is currently close to 30%. With 37%, young adults aged 18-34 years show the highest 12-month prevalence rate of mental disorders compared to all other age groups. The high prevalence rate of mental disorders in young adulthood suggests the need to investigate the relationship between its underlying factors in order to implement adequate prevention and intervention approaches.
“Future Family IV” (2020-2022): Prevention of mental disorders in young adulthood
Within the framework of the DFG project “Future Family IV” (ZF-IV; JO 1632/1-1: Longitudinal Prediction of Mental Health and Life Quality of Young Adults and Long-term Efficacy of a Universal Prevention Program), an 18-year follow-up with the families from the earlier projects will be conducted. The timing of the re-assessment is particularly favourable since the former adolescents are now all of age and most have finished school education. Young adults usually experience a lot of new challenges, developments, and influences during this stage of life.
The project thus offers the possibility of a longitudinal investigation in order to examine the development of young people in the transition to adulthood. In addition, the new survey also allows a closer look at the parents’ current situation.
The following questions are to be examined within “Future Family IV”:
The ZF-IV project started in January 2020. We are currently collecting the data of a 18-year follow-up. The project is scheduled to end by late June 2022.
The first results of the 18-year follow-up are to be expected in the 2022. New publications will regularly be added to the project’s reference list which can be found here.
Prevention of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence - earlier projects “Future Family I, II and III”
Since 2001 the “Future Family” project has been examining the influence of various risk and protective factors on children’s and adolescents’ mental health and the effectiveness of the universal preventive parent training Triple P (Positive Parenting Program).
The “Future Family” project has so far been divided into three sub-projects:
“Future Family I” (start: 2001)
The DFG project “Future Family I” (ZF-1; HA 1400/14-1-3; 4-5: Effectiveness of universal prevention program to reduce external and internal disorders in pre-school children) was a RCT study conducted in the Braunschweig region. The project used a multimodal diagnostic approach to collect data from 280 families with children aged three to six years over a period of four years. After the first assessment, 186 families were offered the opportunity to participate in a Triple P parent group training (intervention group, IG), while the other 94 families were assigned to a no-intervention control group (CG). In the assessments shortly after the parent training (post) and one year later (fu1), we found significant effects on almost all variables for the mothers of two-parent families in the IG compared to the CG. Among other things, the mothers in the IG reported better parenting behaviour and fewer behavioural problems in their children. In the assessments two, three, and four years after the parent training, the IG-mothers’ still reported an increase in positive parenting behaviour, a reduction in dysfunctional parenting behaviour, and in children’s externalizing behaviour problems compared to CG-mothers. After three years, no significant differences between the two groups were found regarding internalizing child behaviour problems. The results confirm the long-term effectiveness of Group Triple P.
“Future Family II” (start: 2003)
As part of the project “Future Family II” (ZF-II; funded by the Jacobs-Stiftung), 197 families from socially disadvantaged areas of Braunschweig were offered the opportunity to participate in a Triple P parent training. There were four times of assessment within two years to collect the data. The aim of the study was to examine whether families with a lower socioeconomic background could be motivated to participate more voluntarily by applying different incentives and whether different settings (individual vs. group training) had an impact on the effectiveness. It was found that (1) parental training had a significant positive effect even in a socially disadvantaged environment, and that (2) the two incentive conditions had a different influence on both, the participation rate and program effectiveness. While payment significantly increased parents’ willingness to participate (46% of parents compared to 26% without payment), the setting had an impact on program effectiveness: The individual parent training resulted in better parenting behaviour compared to the parent group training.
“Future Family III” (2011 - 2013)
The aim of the DFG project “Future Family III” (ZF-III; HA 1400/17-1, 2: Prevention of emotional disorders in adolescence) was to conduct a 10-year follow-up with the families from the earlier projects “Future Family I” and “Future Family II”. Of the original 477 families, 361 families participated in the 10-year follow-up (retention rate: 76%). Since the children’s age was between 3 and 6 years at the first assessment (2001/2003; M = 4.2 years; boys 53%), the adolescents’ age at the 10-year follow-up was predominantly between 13 and 16 years (M = 14.1 years; boys 54%). The data of the 10-year follow-up allowed for a prediction of (1) internal and external behaviour problems, (2) addictive behaviour, (3) sexual risk behaviour, and (4) bullying in adolescence based on the risk and protection factors assessed in the two preceding projects. In addition, it was investigated whether the parents’ participation in the Triple P intervention conducted ten years ago had an impact on the adolescents’ development.
The results showed a point prevalence of 15% for internalizing behaviour problems, such as social withdrawal, anxiety, depressive moods or physical complaints among the adolescents, both in self-assessment and parental assessment. Externalizing behaviour problems, such as aggressive or delinquent behaviour, had a point prevalence of 6% in the self-assessment and 11% in the parental assessment which reflects the importance of multiple sources of information. Moreover, several factors related to psychological problems were identified. For example, it was found that young people spending a lot of time on social media, describing problematic alcohol consumption or reporting a gaming/internet addiction were more likely to exhibit behavioural problems. After ten years, the families of the ZF-I and ZF-II IGs still benefited from their participation in the Triple P intervention. Even though the differences were only minor, the families that had participated in Triple P indicated slightly less negative parenting behaviour, a slightly higher relationship satisfaction, and a slightly lower level of child behaviour problems than the families of the ZF-I and ZF-II CGs.