F58. COHORT PROFILE: IMPROVING OUTCOMES OF MENTAL HEALTH (IOMH) A LONGITUDINAL CLINICAL STUDY OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS

Abstract

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face a range of challenges which impact their daily functioning and that of their family. The course of NDDs varies with 70 % of ADHD cases persisting into adulthood, while ASD is generally considered chronic but may remit. NDDs are often associated with significant mental health problems such as depression and anxiety which can influence the course. NDDs are highly heritable and understanding the genetic basis will provide insight into their course. Twin studies have shown heritability between 37 % and 85 % for psychiatric disorders, while heritability estimates based on observed genotypes are estimated between 5 % and 25%. The study aims to investigate genetic risk and protective factors for the persistence and severity of mental health problems in children with NDDs. Methods: A diverse range of data was collected from caregivers across 4 timepoints and included biological (blood, stool, urine, saliva), demographic, family history, clinical diagnosis, and survey data (ASR, CBCL, and SRS). A total of 1084 families (primary caregivers and children) were recruited from the Child Development Program at the Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service in Brisbane, Australia. All caregivers were invited to participate which resulted in total of 1472 caregivers (female n=1036) participating in the study, which included 383 families with 2 or more caregivers participating. The children were predominantly male (71%), with the average age of all children 5.6 years. Results: The most prevalent child clinical diagnoses were ASD (n=301) and ADHD (n=292), with half of all children receiving more than one diagnosis. Caregiver reports indicated that children were experiencing clinical levels of depression (30.6%) and anxiety (32.6%). One in three caregivers (n = 525) reported having received a mental health diagnosis, while approximately 53 % (n = 774) reported having a family history of mental illness. Approximately 39 % (n = 572) of adults scored in the sub-clinical or clinical range for at least one DSM measure, with the majority of those reporting depressive problems. Discussion: The IOMH cohort is a clinical sample of children with a significant number experiencing neurodevelopmental issues, along with high rates of comorbid anxiety and depression. The rich variety of data collected will provide valuable insight into the risk and protective factors of childhood mental illness. Future plans for this data set include analysis of environmental variables such as family structure, income, school achievements and leisure activities as risk factors for the persistence of mental health problems in children with NDDs. Genetic data will be used to provide insights into the heritability of mental illness and improve prediction.