Comorbidity between anxiety disorders and depression in children aged between 6 to 11 years old
The first objective of this study was to determine the strength of the association between three anxiety disorders (specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder) and major depressive disorder, evaluated by the Dominic Interactive. The second objective was to examine if this association varies according to two developmental indicators defined by age group (6-8 years and 9-11 years) and sex (girl or boy). This study was conducted using a data-base obtained from previous studies on the psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive. The sample consisted of 453 children, 6 to 11 years-old, from the general population of the Montreal urban area (n = 228 girls; n = 225 boys). The results indicated that the strength of association between the three anxiety disorders and depression was very strong. The logistic regression analyses revealed that in the sample included in this study, comorbidity between anxiety and depression did not vary significantly according to the age group or sex of the children. These results therefore confirm the importance of the comorbidity generally observed among children. Yet, the strong association between anxiety disorders and depression, independent of age and sex, is a matter of serious concern. The simultaneous presence of a number of internalizing disorders may have major consequences for children’s psychological development and result in an aggravation of the psychopathology. The results of this study support the need for early screening of mental health problems to prevent severe disorders.