Mental Health Outcomes in US Children and Adolescents Born Prematurely or with Low Birthweight

Table 1

Definitions of selected mental health indicators in the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health.

Indicator	Definition
(1) Behavioral/emotional problem	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had depression, anxiety, or behavioral or conduct problems, such as oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder? Does the child currently have depression, anxiety, or behavioral or conduct problems?” this composite, global mental health indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(2) Serious behavioral/emotional problem	This indicator is defined if the child’s current depression, anxiety, and behavioral/conduct problems were described as moderate or severe. this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(3) Depression	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had depression? Does the child currently have depression?” this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(4) Anxiety	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had anxiety problems? Does the child currently have anxiety problems?” this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(5) Oppositional defiant or conduct disorder	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had behavioral or conduct problems, such as oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder? Does the child currently have behavioral or conduct problems?” this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(6) Autism spectrum disorder	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had autism, Asperger’s Disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, or other autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Does the child currently have autism or ASD?” this indicator is defined for children aged 3–17 years.
(7) ADD/ADHD	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Does the child currently have ADD or ADHD?” this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(8) Developmental delay	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had any developmental delay that affects his/her ability to learn? Does the child currently have developmental delay problems?” this indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.
(9) Learning disability	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor, health-care provider, teacher, or school official ever told you that the child had a learning disability? Does the child currently have a learning disability?” this indicator is defined for children aged 3–17 years.
(10) Intellectual disability/mental retardation	Based on the questions, “Has a doctor or other health-care provider ever told you that the child had intellectual disability or mental retardation? Does the child currently have intellectual disability or mental retardation?” This indicator is defined for children aged 2–17 years.