In addition to providing prevalence estimates, the findings also confirm observations from previous U.S. and international investigations of adolescents concerning the association of sociodemographic characteristics and mental disorders.1 In particular, female adolescents were more likely than males to have mood and anxiety disorders, but less likely to have behavioral and substance use disorders. Non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely to have substance use disorders compared to Whites, a finding that is similar to prior community studies of adolescents and adults.37 The increased prevalence of mood and substance use disorders in older adolescents has also been observed in previous investigations,38 thus indicating the importance of prevention strategies for early and mid-adolescence. By contrast, the stability of certain anxiety and behavioral disorders across this same developmental period suggests that earlier interventions before puberty may be appropriate for many of these conditions.
