A general psychopathology factor in early adolescence

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Psychopathology Research
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Background:

• A general psychopathology dimension has been identified in adults.
• This dimension has not been previously studied in children and adolescents.
• Previous research focused on externalizing and internalizing dimensions in youth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the existence of a general psychopathology dimension in young people.
• To examine correlates associated with this dimension.
• To assess its predictive value for future functioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized self-reports of symptoms from a large community sample (N = 23,477) aged 11-13.5 years.
• Estimated alternative factor models, including a bi-factor model.
• Assessed associations between dimensions, external correlates, and future functioning.

Main Results:

• Both traditional two-factor and bi-factor models demonstrated good data fit.
• A general psychopathology bi-factor emerged as the best predictor of future psychopathology.
• This general factor also predicted academic attainment and showed significant associations with correlates.

Conclusions:

• A general psychopathology factor, consistent across genders, is identifiable in young people.
• This factor's associations with correlates and future functioning are significant.
• Investigating this dimension enhances understanding of psychopathology etiology, risk, and correlates.