Erratum to: Teachers’ assessments of children aged eight predict life satisfaction in adolescence

Abstract

Reports an error in "Teachers' assessments of children aged eight predict life satisfaction in adolescence" by Honkanen Meri, Hurtig Tuula, Taanila Anja, Moilanen Irma, Koponen Hannu, Maki Pirjo, Veijola Juha, Puustjarvi Anita, Ebeling Hanna and Koivumaa-Honkanen Heli (European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2011[Sep], Vol 20[9], 469-479). In the original article, the given and family names of the authors were inadvertently interchanged. The corrected names of the author is present in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-21445-005). The objective was to investigate how teachers' assessments of children predict life satisfaction in adolescence. This is a prospective cohort study on the population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 8,959). Information was gathered from parents, teachers and adolescents using questionnaires at the age of 7, 8 and 15. Response rates were 80-90%. Emotional and behavioural problems were assessed with Rutter Children's Behavioural Questionnaires for teachers (RB2) and parents (RA2) during the first grade at age 8. At adolescence, self-reported life satisfaction was measured with a question including five response alternatives. According to teachers' assessments, 13.9% of the children had high emotional or behavioural problems (RB2 >9). These assessments predicted life dissatisfaction in adolescence (ORcrude = 1.77; 95% CI 1.43-2.20) in several models including also health behaviour and use of psychotropic medicine. However, introducing all the significant variables in the same model, RB2 lost its significance (OR = 1.28; 0.96-1.70), but good school achievement assessed by teachers was still a significant predictor. Life satisfaction in adolescence was associated with a variety of favourable concurrent factors. In conclusion teachers' assessments of children during the first school year predicted life satisfaction in adolescence. In mental health promotion, teachers' early assessments should be utilized for the benefit of children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).