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Antecedents of preschool children's internalizing problems: a longitudinal study of low-income families
D S Shaw1, K Keenan, J I Vondra
1Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Insights
Early identification of preschool internalizing problems is possible using infancy risk factors like negative emotionality and disorganized attachment. These findings aid in understanding the development of emotion regulation in young children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Emotion Regulation Research
Background:
- Young children's internalizing problems are a significant concern in developmental psychopathology.
- Emotion regulation is a key factor influencing children's socio-emotional development.
- Early identification of risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate antecedents of young children's internalizing problems.
- To utilize emotion regulation research to guide the prediction of these problems.
- To identify specific risk factors observable in infancy.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design.
- Inclusion of 86 low-income mother-child dyads.
- Assessment of risk factors in infancy using measures including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Main Results:
- Infant risk factors predicting preschool internalizing problems included negative emotionality, disorganized attachment, negative life events, parenting disagreements, and parenting hassles.
- High negative emotionality combined with parental conflict uniquely predicted higher scores on CBCL Withdrawal and Depression/Anxiety subscales.
- These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of early risk.
Conclusions:
- Preschool internalizing problems can be predicted from infancy through various emotion regulation-related domains.
- Further longitudinal research should incorporate direct measures of children's negative emotionality, parenting, and relevant family factors.
- Understanding these developmental pathways can inform early prevention and intervention strategies.
Objective:
To examine antecedents of young children's internalizing problems using research related to emotion regulation to guide prediction.
Method:
Longitudinal data were collected on 86 low-income mother-child dyads to examine risk factors related to early internalizing problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Results:
The following risk factors, assessed during infancy, were related to the development of preschool-age internalizing problems: negative emotionality, disorganized attachment classification, negative life events, exposure to child-rearing disagreements, and parenting hassles. In addition, the interaction of high negative emotionality and exposure to parental conflict added unique variance to the prediction of scores on the CBCL Withdrawal and Depression/Anxiety subscales.
Conclusions:
Children's preschool-age internalizing problems can be identified during infancy from multiple domains related to the development of emotion regulation. Further longitudinal work is encouraged that incorporates direct measurement of children's negative emotionality, parenting, and family factors that influence both parenting and children's emotion regulation.