Table 2.
Psychiatric symptom load in the three study groups
| Preterm VLBW (N = 61) | p | Term SGA (N = 68) | p | Control (N = 88) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Cohen’s d | Mean (SD) | Cohen’s d | Mean (SD) | |||
| ASEBA Raw Scores | |||||||
| Anxious/Depressed | 6.6 (7.3) | 0.60 | .069 | 6.8 (6.8) | 0.64 | .039 | 3.9 (4.5) |
| Withdrawn | 2.4 (2.4) | 0.50 | .032 | 2.4 (2.5) | 0.50 | .047 | 1.5 (1.8) |
| Somatic Complaints | 2.7 (3.0) | 0.40 | .032 | 3.2 (4.1) | 0.60 | .074 | 1.7 (2.5) |
| Thought Problems | 1.7 (2.3) | 0.75 | .032 | 1.4 (1.8) | 0.50 | .039 | 0.8 (1.2) |
| Attention Problems | 7.0 (4.8) | 0.56 | .015 | 6.4 (5.2) | 0.42 | .042 | 4.6 (4.3) |
| Aggressive Behavior | 3.3 (4.0) | 0.56 | .062 | 2.5 (3.0) | 0.26 | .078 | 1.8 (2.7) |
| Rule-Breaking Behavior | 1.8 (2.6) | 0.53 | .062 | 1.8 (2.6) | 0.53 | .078 | 1.0 (1.5) |
| Intrusive | 1.7 (1.8) | 0.43 | .037 | 2.1 (2.1) | 0.71 | .016 | 1.1 (1.4) |
| Internalizing Problems | 11.8 (10.8) | 0.70 | .032 | 12.4 (12.1) | 0.79 | .039 | 7.1 (6.7) |
| Externalizing Problems | 6.8 (6.6) | 0.73 | .015 | 6.4 (6.0) | 0.63 | .016 | 3.9 (4.0) |
| Total Problems | 34.0 (24.5) | 0.71 | .012 | 34.1 (27.0) | 0.72 | .016 | 21.6 (17.4) |
| Critical Items | 3.3 (3.5) | 0.75 | .015 | 3.2 (3.5) | 0.70 | .039 | 1.8 (2.0) |
| AQ a | |||||||
| Social skill | 2.0 (1.7) | 0.47 | .028 | 2.1 (2.3) | 0.53 | .136 | 1.3 (1.5) |
| Attention switching | 4.4 (2.2) | 0.55 | .012 | 4.3 (2.1) | 0.50 | .012 | 3.3 (2.0) |
| Attention to detail | 3.5 (2.1) | 0.18 | .395 | 3.4 (1.9) | 0.14 | .395 | 3.1 (2.2) |
| Communication | 2.4 (1.7) | 0.35 | .156 | 2.3 (2.0) | 0.29 | .156 | 1.8 (1.7) |
| Imagination | 3.2 (1.8) | 0.29 | .496 | 2.8 (1.6) | 0.00 | .496 | 2.8 (1.4) |
| Sum score | 15.5 (6.3) | 0.60 | .028 | 14.6 (6.1) | 0.43 | .136 | 12.3 (5.3) |
| PDI b | |||||||
| Conviction | 5.9 (7.9) | 0.23 | .590 | 5.1 (5.8) | 0.11 | .590 | 4.4 (6.6) |
| Preoccupation | 3.8 (5.6) | 0.29 | .454 | 3.7 (5.7) | 0.26 | .454 | 2.6 (4.2) |
| Distress | 4.2 (5.9) | 0.27 | .454 | 3.9 (5.9) | 0.20 | .454 | 3.0 (4.5) |
| Grand Total | 15.7 (21.2) | 0.27 | .454 | 14.3 (17.7) | 0.18 | .454 | 11.3 (16.5) |
| Yes/no | 1.9 (2.3) | 0.29 | .454 | 1.7 (1.7) | 0.18 | .454 | 1.4 (1.7) |
P values vs control by non-parametric test, adjusted for multiple comparison according to Benjamini and Hochberg [32] and for three group comparison according to Levin et al. [31]
Abbreviations: VLBW Very Low Birth Weight, SGA Small for Gestational Weight, AQ Autism-Spectrum Quotient, PDI Peters et al. Delusions Inventory
a AQ Sum score: n = 59 VLBW, 65 SGA, 85 control; Social Skill Subscale and Attention switching: n = 59 VLBW, 66 SGA, 87 Control; Attention to detail: n = 60 VLBW, 67 SGA, 87 Control; Communication: n = 59 VLBW, 66 SGA, 85 Control; Imagination: n = 59 VLBW, 65 SGA, 87 Control
b PDI: n = 56 VLBW, 66 SGA, 86 control