Do mental health problems in childhood predict chronic physical conditions among males in early adulthood? Evidence from a community-based prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented associations between mental and physical health problems in cross-sectional studies, yet little is known about these relationships over time or the specificity of these associations. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between mental health problems in childhood at age 8 years and physical disorders in adulthood at ages 18-23 years. METHOD: Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between childhood mental health problems, reported by child, parent and teacher, and physical disorders diagnosed by a physician in early adulthood. RESULTS: Significant linkages emerged between childhood mental health problems and obesity, atopic eczema, epilepsy and asthma in early adulthood. Specifically, conduct problems in childhood were associated with a significantly increased likelihood of obesity and atopic eczema; emotional problems were associated with an increased likelihood of epilepsy and asthma; and depression symptoms at age 8 were associated with an increased risk of asthma in early adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide the first evidence of an association between mental health problems during childhood and increased risk of specific physical health problems, mainly asthma and obesity, during early adulthood, in a representative sample of males over time. These data suggest that behavioral and emotional problems in childhood may signal vulnerability to chronic physical health problems during early adulthood.

Life events, self-reported psychopathology and sense of coherence among young men--a population-based study.

The aim is to study the associations between sense of coherence (SOC), and psychopathology and major life events among adolescent boys. The study population consisted of 2314 Finnish boys born during 1981 who attended military call-up (79% of the original sample). At military call-up in 1999, the boys filled in the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) and Antonovsky's Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-13), which measure SOC. In univariate analysis, low parental education level, death and serious illness of parent, parental divorce and high symptom level in all YASR scales were associated with poor SOC. In multivariate analysis, most YASR syndrome scales and father's education level were independently associated with SOC. The study demonstrates the sensitivity of the SOC-13 scale to a wide range of mental health problems. The results offer additional support to the argument that SOC may be an important global measure for use in both clinical and research purposes in adolescent psychiatry.

Military fitness class of Finnish 18-year-old men--prediction of military fitness class at call-up with the YASR and sociodemographic factors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial factors associated with military fitness class, classified as capability of service, vs. temporary or permanent exemption from service. METHOD: Participants were 2,340 (80% of the original sample) Finnish 18-year-old men at call-up for obligatory military service who filled in the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) questionnaire. RESULTS: Temporary exemption from military service was independently associated with the YASR total problem score, externalizing and internalizing problems, excessive alcohol use, drug use, problems with peers and family, and mental health service use. Permanent exemption was independently associated with problems with peers and family. CONCLUSION: The YASR is a potential selection tool to be used at call-up. Temporary exemption was more strongly associated with psychosocial problems than permanent exemption. Because of the high level of psychological problems among those temporarily exempted, the call-up situation offers a unique opportunity to identify those with problem behaviour and risk of marginalization.

Teaching sociology of medicine: the group process.

As a part of any curriculum reorganization, new instructional methods are also tested. When the University of Turku sociology of medicine course was found to need renovation, its goals and objectives, content and instructional methods were closely examined and modified, in order to strengthen institutional and multiprofessional relations and reinforce sociocultural issues in doctors' competence with the patient. This paper discuss this change, emphasizing teaching and learning methodology.

Macrophages, T cell receptor usage, and endothelial cell activation in the pancreas at the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Current knowledge of the phenotype of mononuclear cells accumulating in pancreatic islets in insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) and factors determining their homing into the pancreas is limited. Therefore, a pancreas obtained at the onset of IDDM was studied in detail. Cryostat sections were stained for mononuclear cell types, T cell receptor subtypes, and adhesion molecules of vascular endothelium and studied by immunofluorescence microscopy, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were phenotyped using flow cytometry. Monocytes/macrophages (lysozyme- or CD 14-reactive cells) were identified among other mononuclear cell types in islet infiltrates. V beta 8-positive T cells were overrepresented, but T cells with other V beta s studied (V beta 5, V beta 5.1, V beta 6, V beta 12) were also found. The vascular endothelium of the islets and many small vessels nearby islets strongly expressed intercellular adhesion molecule-1, whereas vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin were totally absent. We conclude: (a) that increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on vascular endothelium may increase endothelial adhesion of mononuclear cells and enhance their accumulation in the pancreas during diabetic insulitis; (b) that T cells with certain T cell receptors can be enriched in infiltrated pancreatic islets; and (c) that macrophages and antigen-specific CD 8-positive T cells are involved in pancreatic beta cell destruction at the onset of IDDM.

Mumps and Coxsackie B3 virus infection of human fetal pancreatic islet-like cell clusters.

Islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) prepared from human fetal pancreases were infected with mumps or coxsackie B3 virus. Double-labeled antibody technique showed that the viruses infected both insulin-secreting and other pancreatic cells and that secretion of immunoreactive insulin into the culture medium of the mumps virus-infected cells had already ceased on day 7. The mumps virus-infected ICC clusters produced virus for 14 days, and the mumps virus antigen was detected in the ICCs through the whole 22-day observation period. The coxsackie B3 virus-infected ICCs contained cells highly positive for viral antigen during the first 2 days after infection, and the infectious virus was detected in the culture medium for 22 days. This in vitro model indicates that mumps and coxsackie B3 viruses infect human fetal pancreatic endocrine cells and are able to alter beta-cell function. Coxsackie B3 virus infection in ICCs is lytical and seems to lead to rapid cell destruction, but long-lasting, restricted mumps virus infection in human fetal pancreatic ICCs offers an interesting model to study the effects of viral infection in the endocrine pancreas and beta cell.