Childhood Risk and Resilience Profiles and Their Longitudinal Associations with Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptom Profiles

Abstract

Within the field of developmental psychopathology, research has repeatedly demonstrated that there are multiple complex and dynamic pathways originating in childhood that may lead to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. However, additional research is needed that examines the unique and concurrent contributions among child-, parent-, and family-level risk and resilience factors during childhood that may be associated with internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. To address this gap, the current study utilized a person-centered approach to identify profiles of risk and resilience factors among youth in middle childhood (ages 10-12) characterized by the quality and quantity of (a) child-level factors (i.e., temperamental features, executive functioning abilities); (b) parent-level factors (i.e., parental acceptance, control, disciplinary style); and (c) family-level factors (i.e., family cohesion, conflict, organization) among a sample of 775 participants (Aim 1). The study also examined internalizing and externalizing symptom profiles in adolescence (age 16) by identifying subgroups of youth characterized by the quality and quantity of internalizing and externalizing problems within each of the identified childhood risk profiles (Aim 2). Lastly, the study investigated transitions from childhood risk profiles to adolescent symptom profiles (Aim 3). Results demonstrated that a four-class model best fit the data in regard to childhood risk profiles, with classes of youth most saliently characterized by (a) accepting parents, (b) controlling parents, (c) disengaged parents, and (d) chaotic homes. With regard to adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptom profiles, results indicated a three-class model best fit the data and included classes distinguished by the presence of (a) low symptoms, (b) moderate symptoms, and (c) high internalizing and moderate externalizing symptoms. Most youth from the four childhood risk profiles transitioned to the low symptom profile at age 16; however, youth from the chaotic home profile were more likely to transition into one of the two higher-level symptom profiles. Findings enhance our understanding of risk and resilience by identifying distinct childhood risk profiles and corresponding adolescent symptom profiles. These findings will have implications for both prevention and treatment efforts that target specific risk factors within each risk profile.