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Why some children with externalising problems develop internalising symptoms: testing two pathways in a genetically
Jasmin Wertz1, Helena Zavos1, Timothy Matthews1
1MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Insights
Genetic factors and negative experiences contribute to children with externalizing problems developing internalizing symptoms. Early externalizing behaviors predict later internalizing issues, influenced by shared genes and environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychiatry
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Children with externalizing problems face increased risk for developing internalizing problems later in life.
- The developmental pathways linking externalizing and internalizing problems require further elucidation.
- This study investigates negative experiences and genetic factors as potential mediators of this association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the role of negative experiences in mediating the link between early externalizing behaviors and later internalizing symptoms.
- To investigate the extent to which genetic factors influence the co-occurrence of externalizing and internalizing problems.
- To understand the developmental trajectory from externalizing to internalizing problems in preadolescence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Study, a twin birth cohort.
- Assessed externalizing and internalizing problems using parent and teacher ratings at ages 5 and 12.
- Measured negative experiences (bullying, maternal dissatisfaction, academic difficulties) and employed Cholesky decomposition for genetic analyses.
Main Results:
- Children with externalizing problems at age 5 exhibited higher rates of new internalizing problems at age 12.
- Negative experiences partially explained the association between early externalizing and later internalizing symptoms.
- Behavioral-genetic analyses revealed shared genetic influences on early externalizing and later internalizing problems.
Conclusions:
- Genetic influences play a significant role in the development of internalizing symptoms in children with pre-existing externalizing problems.
- Negative experiences, potentially through gene-environment interplay, also contribute to this developmental pathway.
- Mental health professionals should closely monitor children with externalizing behaviors for emerging internalizing symptoms.
Background:
Children with externalising problems are at risk of developing internalising problems as they grow older. The pathways underlying this developmental association remain to be elucidated. We tested two processes that could explain why some children with externalising problems develop internalising symptoms in preadolescence: a mediation model whereby the association between early externalising and later new internalising symptoms is explained by negative experiences; and a genetic model, whereby genes influence both problems.
Methods:
We used data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Study, a 1994-1995 birth cohort of 2,232 twins born in England and Wales. We assessed externalising and internalising problems using combined mothers' and teachers' ratings at age 5 and 12. We measured bullying victimisation, maternal dissatisfaction and academic difficulties between age 7 and 10 and used linear regression analyses to test the effects of these negative experiences on the association between early externalising and later internalising problems. We employed a Cholesky decomposition to examine the genetic influences on the association.
Results:
Children with externalising problems at age 5 showed increased rates of new internalising problems at age 12 (r = .24, p < .001). Negative experiences accounted for some of the association between early externalising and later internalising problems. Behavioural-genetic analyses indicated that genes influencing early externalising problems also affected later internalising problems.
Conclusions:
Our findings highlight the role of genetic influences in explaining why some children with externalising problems develop internalising symptoms in preadolescence. Negative experiences also contribute to the association, possibly through gene-environment interplay. Mental health professionals should monitor the development of internalising symptoms in young children with externalising problems.
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