Caspi A, Moffitt T E, Newman D L, Silva P A
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Nov;53(11):1033-9. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830110071009.
This study provides, to our knowledge, the first empirical test of whether behavioral differences among children in the first 3 years of life are linked to specific adult psychiatric disorders: anxiety and mood disorders, antisocial personality disorder, recidivistic and violent crime, alcoholism, and suicidal behavior.
In a longitudinal-epidemiological study, 3-year-old children were classified into groups based on examiner observations of their behavior. At age 21 years, they were reassessed for psychopathologic functioning using standardized interviews based on DSM-III-R criteria.
Although effect sizes were small, undercontrolled (includes children who are impulsive, restless and distractible) and inhibited (includes children who are shy, fearful, and easily upset) children differed significantly from comparison children in young adulthood. Under-controlled 3-year-olds were more likely at 21 years to meet diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder and to be involved in crime. Inhibited 3-year-olds were more likely at 21 years to meet diagnostic criteria for depression. Both groups were more likely to attempt suicide, and boys in both groups had alcohol-related problems. Controls for family social class did not change the findings.
Some forms of adult psychopathologic abnormality are meaningfully linked, albeit weakly, to behavioral differences observed among children in the third year of life.
据我们所知，本研究首次对生命最初3年儿童的行为差异是否与特定的成人精神疾病相关进行了实证检验，这些精神疾病包括焦虑和情绪障碍、反社会人格障碍、累犯和暴力犯罪、酗酒以及自杀行为。
在一项纵向流行病学研究中，根据检查者对3岁儿童行为的观察将他们分组。在他们21岁时，使用基于《精神疾病诊断与统计手册第三版修订本》（DSM-III-R）标准的标准化访谈对其心理病理功能进行重新评估。
尽管效应量较小，但在成年早期，控制不足型（包括冲动、坐立不安和易分心的儿童）和抑制型（包括害羞、恐惧和易心烦意乱的儿童）儿童与对照儿童存在显著差异。3岁时控制不足的儿童在21岁时更有可能符合反社会人格障碍的诊断标准并涉及犯罪。3岁时抑制型的儿童在21岁时更有可能符合抑郁症的诊断标准。两组儿童都更有可能尝试自杀，且两组中的男孩都有与酒精相关的问题。对家庭社会阶层的控制并未改变研究结果。
某些形式的成人心理病理异常与生命第三年观察到的儿童行为差异存在有意义的联系，尽管这种联系较弱。
