Latent trajectories of internalizing symptoms from preschool to school age: A multi-informant study in a high-risk sample

Abstract

Recent proposals suggest early adversity sets in motion particularly chronic and neurobiologically distinct trajectories of internalizing symptoms. However, few prospective studies in high-risk samples delineate distinct trajectories of internalizing symptoms from preschool age onward. We examined trajectories in a high-risk cohort, oversampled for internalizing symptoms, several preschool risk/maintenance factors, and school-age outcomes. Parents of 325 children completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire on up to four waves of data collection from preschool (3-5 years) to school age (8-9 years) and Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment interviews at both ages. Multi-informant data were collected on risk factors and symptoms. Growth mixture modelling identified four trajectory classes of internalizing symptoms with stable low, rising low-to-moderate, stable moderate, and stable high symptoms. Children in the stable high symptom trajectory manifested clinically relevant internalizing symptoms, mainly diagnosed with anxiety disorders/depression at preschool and school age. Trajectories differed regarding loss/separation experience, maltreatment, maternal psychopathology, temperament, and stress-hormone regulation with loss/separation, temperament, maternal psychopathology, and stress-hormone regulation (trend) significantly contributing to explained variance. At school age, trajectories continued to differ on symptoms, disorders, and impairment. Our study is among the first to show that severe early adversity may trigger a chronic and neurobiologically distinct internalizing trajectory from preschool age onward.

Exclusion Expected? Cardiac Slowing Upon Peer Exclusion Links Preschool Parent Representations to School‐Age Peer Relationships

“…Of these children, n = 139 also participated in a first visit at preschool‐age (5.19 years; SD = 5.9 months) between February, 2010 and January, 2012. Children in this study were a subsample of a larger longitudinal study comprising N = 304 children, of whom n = 272 and n = 249 participated in the preschool and school‐age visits, respectively (see Klein et al, 2019 for details). Of the latter, n = 179 children took part in the physiological assessment reported here (14 children with incomplete or poor quality EKG datasets excluded).…”

Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials examining the effectiveness of early parenting interventions in preventing internalising problems in children and adolescents

“…In addition, the burden of non-communicable diseases is expected to increase in low-and middle-income countries due to better treatment of communicable diseases [6]. Internalising problems have a broad range of additional negative consequences on the individual and on society [9][10][11][12].…”

Cohort Profile: The Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS)—a study of mental health, psychosocial development and health behaviour from preschool to adolescence

“…Temperament Study (6); however, these studies did not apply diagnostic interviews to assess children's psychopathology. Subsequently, other prospective studies using clinical interviews to assess a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders, beginning in the preschool years, were launched, perhaps most notably the Factors of Vulnerability to Psychopathology (Barcelona; 2010) (7) and the Leipzig Developmental Study (Leipzig; 2010) (8,9). Furthermore, to identify disorders and their risk and protective factors, it is imperative that we understand what characterizes typically developing children.…”