Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
Dev Psychopathol. 2022 Aug;34(3):774-783. doi: 10.1017/S0954579420001996. Epub 2021 Jan 12.
Recent models of psychopathology suggest the presence of a general factor capturing the shared variance among all symptoms along with specific psychopathology factors (e.g., internalizing and externalizing). However, few studies have examined predictors that may serve as transdiagnostic risk factors for general psychopathology from early development. In the current study we examine, for the first time, whether observed and parent-reported infant temperament dimensions prospectively predict general psychopathology as well as specific psychopathology dimensions (e.g., internalizing and externalizing) across childhood. In a longitudinal cohort ( = 291), temperament dimensions were assessed at 4 months of age. Psychopathology symptoms were assessed at 7, 9, and 12 years of age. A bifactor model was used to estimate general, internalizing, and externalizing psychopathology factors. Across behavioral observations and parent-reports, higher motor activity in infancy significantly predicted greater general psychopathology in mid to late childhood. Moreover, low positive affect was predictive of the internalizing-specific factor. Other temperament dimensions were not related with any of the psychopathology factors after accounting for the general psychopathology factor. The results of this study suggest that infant motor activity may act as an early indicator of transdiagnostic risk. Our findings inform the etiology of general psychopathology and have implications for the early identification for children at risk for psychopathology.
最近的心理病理学模型表明，存在一个通用因素，可以捕捉所有症状之间的共同方差，以及特定的心理病理学因素（例如，内化和外化）。然而，很少有研究探讨从早期发展开始可能作为一般心理病理学的跨诊断风险因素的预测因素。在当前的研究中，我们首次检查了观察到的和父母报告的婴儿气质维度是否可以预测整个儿童期的一般心理病理学以及特定的心理病理学维度（例如，内化和外化）。在一项纵向队列研究中（n=291），在 4 个月大时评估了气质维度。在 7、9 和 12 岁时评估了心理病理学症状。使用双因素模型估计一般、内化和外化心理病理学因素。在行为观察和父母报告中，婴儿期较高的运动活动显著预测了从中期到后期儿童期更大的一般心理病理学。此外，低积极情绪与内化特异性因素相关。在考虑一般心理病理学因素后，其他气质维度与任何心理病理学因素都没有关系。这项研究的结果表明，婴儿运动活动可能是跨诊断风险的早期指标。我们的研究结果为一般心理病理学的病因提供了信息，并对有心理病理学风险的儿童的早期识别具有重要意义。
