Self-reported psychopathology, adaptive functioning and sense of coherence, and psychiatric diagnosis among young men--a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE

To study the associations between psychiatric disorders and self-perceived problems among adolescent boys.

METHOD

The study population consisted of 2348 Finnish boys born during 1981 attending obligatory military call-up (79.7% of the original sample). At military call-up in 1999, the boys filled in the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) and Orientation of Life Questionnaire (SOC-13). Information about psychiatric disorders was obtained from the national military register during the years 1999-2004.

RESULTS

Most of the psychopathology, adaptive functioning and SOC scales were associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders at follow-up. However, when the effects of scales were controlled in multivariate analysis, only YASR somatic problems and SOC-13 showed an independent association with a wide range of psychiatric disorders at follow-up. Poor SOC-13 predicted anxiety, depression, antisocial personality and substance use disorders. The YASR somatic problems scale predicted anxiety, depression, substance use, psychotic, and adjustment disorders. Self-reported delinquency and poor competence at school predicted substance use and antisocial personality disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reports of poor sense of coherence and somatic complaints have a non-specific association with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.