The structure of psychopathology in adolescence and its common personality and cognitive correlates.

Year
2016
Type(s)
Author(s)
Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie and Brière, Frederic N and O’Leary-Barrett, Maeve and Banaschewski, Tobias and Bokde, Arun and Bromberg, Uli and Büchel, Christian and Flor, Herta and Frouin, Vincent and Gallinat, Juergen and others
Source
Journal of abnormal psychology, 125(8): 1039, 2016
Url
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/125/8/1039.html

The traditional view that mental disorders are distinct, categorical disorders has been challenged by evidence that disorders are highly comorbid and exist on a continuum (e.g., Caspi et al., 2014Tackett et al., 2013). The first objective of this study was to use structural equation modeling to model the structure of psychopathology in an adolescent community-based sample (N = 2,144) including conduct disorderattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), obsessive–compulsive disordereating disorders, substance use, anxiety, depression, phobias, and other emotional symptoms, assessed at 16 years. The second objective was to identify common personality and cognitive correlates of psychopathology, assessed at 14 years. Results showed that psychopathology at 16 years fit 2 bifactor models equally well: (a) a bifactor model, reflecting a general psychopathology factor, as well as specific externalizing (representing mainly substance misuse and low ADHD) and internalizing factors; and (b) a bifactor model with a general psychopathology factor and 3 specific externalizing (representing mainly ADHD and ODD), substance use and internalizing factors. The general psychopathology factor was related to high disinhibition/impulsivity, low agreeableness, high neuroticism and hopelessness, high delay-discounting, poor response inhibition and low performance IQ. Substance use was specifically related to high novelty-seeking, sensation-seekingextraversion, high verbal IQ, and risk-taking. Internalizing psychopathology was specifically related to high neuroticism, hopelessness and anxiety-sensitivity, low novelty-seeking and extraversion, and an attentional bias toward negatively valenced verbal stimuli. Findings reveal several nonspecific or transdiagnostic personality and cognitive factors that may be targeted in new interventions to potentially prevent the development of multiple psychopathologies.