Prosjekter PSY

Early detection and prevention of psychiatric disorders among preschoolers in the community: Mechanisms of change and long term follow up

Prosjektperiode: 2008-2010

Prosjektleder: Lars Wichstrøm (PSY)

Oppdragsgiver : NFR

Young children have psychiatric disorders to a comparable extent with that of any other age group, and they endure. If undetected, problems may escalate and become more resistant to change. However, far fewer young children with psychiatric disorders receive treatment than do school age children, adolescents, and adults - most likely because they go undetected. These facts provide a strong rationale for community-wide screening programs in combination with effective early intervention.

Existing screens produce high rates of false positives when used at the community level, which is unfortunate if prevention is to be based on screen results. Our aim is therefore to develop a screen with higher predictive power. Existing evidence based prevention programs for young children commonly target a specific set of disorders, most often behaviour problems. Most communities do not have the resources to keep a series of programs targeting a variety of problems. Generic prevention programs strengthening the parent-child relationship would therefore be the prevention program of choice, if proven effective.

All children meeting at the health checkup for 4-year olds in the city of Trondheim during 2007 and 2008 will be screened with the SDQ (N=4,000). At present the consent rate is XX%. 1000 families will be invited to participate in a more intensive study. Children high on SDQ are oversampled. One of the parents completes a structured diagnostic interview (ePAPA). The parent and the child meet on a later occasion for observation and testing, which include parent-child interaction; children's attachment representations, children's reporting on their interaction with peers, teachers, and parents, language skills, emotional competence; parents report on the child's temperament, social skills, and the parent's own symptoms. Reports are taken from day care personnel/teachers, health nurses, medical records and from official registers. Retesting take place after 2 and 4 years.

Risk perception and uncertainty in transport

Prosjektperiode: 2008-2009

Prosjektleder: Torbjørn Rundmo (PSY)

Oppdragsgiver : NFR

The project focuses risk perception and uncertainty from the public, policymakers, professional transporters and experts related to reducing accidental in transport. The transport means include public (aviation, rail, bus, sea transport) as well as private means of transportation (car, MC, scooter, bike and walking). The project consists of 3 subprojects.

1. Risk perception by vulnerable groups and areas' consequences for transport safety and risk management.The study focuses risk perception related to mobility and modal choice for various and vulnerable user groups (age, sex, socio-economic status, ethnicity, professionality related to transportation). Both non-risk factors (costs, convenient transport, leisure activities etc.) and various risk factors will be considered. A further focus is on decision makers' regards of risk perception by user groups in developing strategies and plans for transport and risk management. 3 types of geographical contexts are studied: big cities, medium size towns and rural areas.
2. Risk perception, uncertainty and transport safety decisions, examines the role of risk perception and uncertainty in individual- and organisational level decisions related to transport safety decisions.
3. Associations between perceived and objective risk in transport. The study also aims to examine differences in subjective and objective risk ratings related to various types of transportation as well as other risk sources (subjective risk assessments versus e.g. objective ratings from a Norwegian public) and to analyse how ethnicity, gender, age, education and professionality influence the differences.