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Depression and conduct disorder in native and non-native children
1Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. dion@yorku.ca
Objective:
To compare depression and conduct disorder symptoms between North American Native and non-Native children as rated by teacher, parent, and self-reports.
Method:
The sample included 1,251 Native children in grades 2 and 4 in four different settings across North America and comparison samples of 457 non-Native children. Parents, teachers, and children rated children's mental health using culturally sensitive measures of depression and conduct disorder symptoms.
Results:
According to parent ratings and child self-reports, there were no Native/non-Native differences in levels of conduct disorder symptoms. However, non-Native teachers rated higher levels of conduct disorder symptoms among Native children compared with non-Native students. Children reported higher levels of depression than the adults rating them.
Conclusions:
Results challenge assertions about high levels of psychopathology among Native youngsters. Cultural distance may introduce a negative bias in teacher evaluations of Native children's mental health.