ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between estimated Mental Retardation (MR) and school dropout in a sample of students of the third and fourth grades at state schools in Porto Alegre, the capital of the southernmost state of Brazil. METHOD: In this case - control study, students that dropped out from schools (n=44) and a control group who continued attending schools (n=44) had their intelligence quotient (IQ) determined by the vocabulary and cubes subtests of the Wescheler Intelligence Scale ¾ third edition (WISC¾III). Students with IQ lower than 70 were considered as potential cases of MR. Other prevalent mental disorders in this age range were assessed in both groups using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School¾ Age Children, Epidemiological Version (K-SADS-E). RESULTS: The prevalence of potential MR was significantly higher in the dropped out group than in the control group (p<0.001). Odds ratio for school dropout was significantly higher in the presence of MR even after controlling for potentially confounding factors (age, conduct disorder, grade repetition, family structure and income) (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Children with IQ lower than 70 (potential MR) were at higher risk for school dropout. These children need to be identified at school and specific educational strategies should be implemented to assure their inclusion in the learning process
ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore DSM-IV number of symptoms criterion for the diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a non-referred sample of young Brazilian adolescents. Methods: 170 students aged 12 to 14 year-old were evaluated using DSM-IV ADHD criteria, measures of ADHD symptoms, global and school impairment. Results: ADHD adolescents (n=30) had significantly higher scores on Attention Problems scale of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and higher rates of school repetition than both non-ADHD adolescents (n=128) and adolescents who had a subthreshold number of inattentive or hyperactive/impulse symptoms (5 symptoms), but fulfilled all other DSM-IV ADHD criteria (n=12). The two last groups did not differe significantly in any measure assessed. Conclusion: These preliminary results support the appropriateness of DSM-IV number of symptoms criterion for the diagnoses of ADHD in young adolescents.