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Published on: December 2, 2015
Predicting young adult social functioning from developmental trajectories of externalizing behaviour
I L Bongers1, H M Koot, J van der Ende
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Psychological Medicine
|December 1, 2007
Summary
Childhood opposition and status violations predict significant adult social maladjustment. Aggressive behaviors show weaker long-term social consequences, highlighting the impact of conduct problems.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychiatry
- Longitudinal Cohort Studies
Background:
- Externalizing problems in youth often lead to social maladaptation in adulthood.
- Understanding these long-term consequences is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the predictive relationship between childhood and adolescent externalizing developmental trajectories and adult social functioning.
- To identify specific externalizing behaviors that have the most significant long-term impact.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 2,076 males and females (ages 4-18) using parent-reported data on aggression, opposition, property, and status violations.
- Adult social functioning (ages 18-30) assessed via self-reports.
- Linear and logistic regression analyses employed to determine prospective relationships.
Main Results:
- High trajectories of opposition and status violations predicted more impaired adult social functioning compared to aggression and property violations.
- Externalizing problems starting in childhood had more severe long-term social consequences than adolescent-onset problems.
- Males reported more impaired adult social functioning overall, but females with persistent issues experienced greater relational impairment.
Conclusions:
- Childhood opposition and status violations have stronger links to adult social problems than aggressive behaviors.
- Early and persistent externalizing behaviors significantly impact long-term social adaptation.
- Gender differences exist in the manifestation and relational impact of persistent externalizing behaviors.
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