Laurens Kristin R, Tzoumakis Stacy, Dean Kimberlie, Brinkman Sally A, Bore Miles, Lenroot Rhoshel K, Smith Maxwell, Holbrook Allyson, Robinson Kim M, Stevens Robert, Harris Felicity, Carr Vaughan J, Green Melissa J
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2017 Jun 23;7(6):e016244. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016244.
The Middle Childhood Survey (MCS) was designed as a computerised self-report assessment of children's mental health and well-being at approximately 11 years of age, conducted with a population cohort of 87 026 children being studied longitudinally within the New South Wales (NSW) Child Development Study.
School Principals provided written consent for teachers to administer the MCS in class to year 6 students at 829 NSW schools (35.0% of eligible schools). Parent or child opt-outs from participation were received for 4.3% of children, and MCS data obtained from 27 808 children (mean age 11.5 years, SD 0.5; 49.5% female), representing 85.9% of students at participating schools.
Demographic characteristics of participating schools and children are representative of the NSW population. Children completed items measuring Social Integration, Prosocial Behaviour, Peer Relationship Problems, Supportive Relationships (at Home, School and in the Community), Empathy, Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Aggression, Attention, Inhibitory Control, Hyperactivity-Inattention, Total Difficulties (internalising and externalising psychopathology), Perceptual Sensitivity, Psychotic-Like Experiences, Personality, Self-esteem, Daytime Sleepiness and Connection to Nature. Distributions of responses on each item and construct demarcate competencies and vulnerabilities within the population: most children report mental health and well-being, but the population distribution spanned the full range of possible scores on every construct.
Multiagency, intergenerational linkage of the MCS data with health, education, child protection, justice and early childhood development records took place late in 2016. Linked data were used to elucidate patterns of risk and protection across early and middle child development, and these data will provide a foundation for future record linkages in the cohort that will track mental and physical health, social and educational/occupational outcomes into adolescence and early adulthood.
童年中期调查（MCS）旨在对约11岁儿童的心理健康和幸福感进行计算机化的自我报告评估，该调查在新南威尔士州（NSW）儿童发展研究中对87026名儿童的队列进行纵向研究。
学校校长提供书面同意书，允许教师在课堂上对新南威尔士州829所学校（占符合条件学校的35.0%）的六年级学生进行MCS评估。4.3%的儿童家长或儿童选择不参与，从27808名儿童（平均年龄11.5岁，标准差0.5；49.5%为女性）获取了MCS数据，这些儿童占参与学校学生的85.9%。
参与学校和儿童的人口统计学特征代表了新南威尔士州的人口情况。儿童完成了测量社会融合、亲社会行为、同伴关系问题、支持性人际关系（在家、在学校和社区）、同理心、情绪症状、行为问题、攻击性、注意力、抑制控制、多动-注意力不集中、总困难（内化和外化精神病理学）、感知敏感性、类精神病体验、个性、自尊、白天嗜睡以及与自然的联系等项目。每个项目和结构的回答分布划分了人群中的能力和脆弱性：大多数儿童报告心理健康和幸福感良好，但人群分布涵盖了每个结构上所有可能分数的范围。
2016年末，MCS数据与健康、教育、儿童保护、司法和幼儿发展记录进行了多机构、跨代的关联。关联数据用于阐明儿童早期和中期发展过程中的风险和保护模式，这些数据将为该队列未来的记录关联提供基础，以便跟踪进入青春期和成年早期的心理和身体健康、社会及教育/职业结果。
