Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Mar 15;349:262-271. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.071. Epub 2024 Jan 9.
Network analysis may identify specific symptoms involved in the maintenance and development of psychopathology. This approach, however, has not been applied to the study of young Black children, a population facing unique challenges and developmental risks. It is also unclear whether network analysis identifies early symptoms in Black children that are linked to their longer-term difficulties and strengths in adolescence.
We conducted a network analysis of emotional and behavioral difficulties in 1238 Black (non-Hispanic) children from the age-3 assessment in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (47 % female). We also explored whether early childhood symptoms predict subsequent caregiver-reported internalizing and externalizing problems, and youth-reported social competencies and extracurricular and community involvement, at the age-15 assessment.
We identified specific symptoms of externalizing and emotional reactivity as central in the network. Symptoms of emotional reactivity were also involved in comorbidity, bridging different communities of symptoms. Using elastic net models, we identified specific central and bridge symptoms, but also peripheral network symptoms, that contributed uniquely to the prediction of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. Early childhood symptoms were less predictive of positive outcomes in adolescence.
This study identified central and bridge symptoms in young Black children, an underrepresented population in network analysis research. Some of these central and bridge symptoms, but also peripheral network symptoms, may be useful targets in early interventions to prevent long-term difficulties. Conversely, network approaches to understanding early psychopathology may have less utility for predicting Black children's subsequent strengths in adolescence.
网络分析可以确定与精神病理学的维持和发展相关的特定症状。然而，这种方法尚未应用于研究年轻的黑人儿童，他们面临着独特的挑战和发展风险。目前也不清楚网络分析是否能识别出黑人儿童的早期症状，这些症状与他们在青春期的长期困难和优势有关。
我们对来自未来家庭和儿童福利研究（47%为女性）中年龄为 3 岁的评估的 1238 名黑人（非西班牙裔）儿童的情绪和行为困难进行了网络分析。我们还探讨了儿童早期的症状是否可以预测后续照顾者报告的内化和外化问题，以及青年报告的社会能力以及课外和社区参与度，在年龄为 15 岁的评估中。
我们确定了外化和情绪反应的特定症状作为网络中的核心症状。情绪反应症状也与不同症状社区的共病有关。使用弹性网络模型，我们确定了特定的中心和桥接症状，但也有外围网络症状，这些症状对青春期内化和外化问题的预测有独特的贡献。儿童早期的症状对青春期的积极结果的预测作用较小。
本研究确定了年轻黑人儿童的核心和桥接症状，这是网络分析研究中代表性不足的人群。这些核心和桥接症状中的一些，以及外围网络症状，可能是早期干预以预防长期困难的有用目标。相反，网络方法理解早期精神病理学可能对预测黑人儿童在青春期的后续优势的作用较小。
