Temperament profiles associated with internalizing and externalizing problems in preadolescence.
This study investigates how temperament factors are linked to internalizing and externalizing problems in a Dutch population sample of preadolescents (N = 2230). Internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report and temperament was evaluated by the parent-version of the Revised Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. Temperament profiles were examined in children with (a) neither internalizing nor externalizing problems, (b) only internalizing problems, (c) only externalizing problems, and (d) both internalizing and externalizing problems. The results suggest clearly diverging temperament profiles for these groups of children, with High-Intensity Pleasure and Shyness (representing the broad dimension of Surgency) steering the conditional probability of internalizing and externalizing problems (direction markers), Frustration mainly being related to maladaptation in general (severity marker), and Fear and Effortful Control being associated with both the severity and the direction of internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Girls and boys differed in the distribution across the problem groups, but the associations between temperament and psychopathology were comparable for both genders.
University of Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands. a.j.oldehinkel@med.rug.nl
Albertine J
AJ
Oldehinkel
Catharina A
CA
Hartman
Andrea F
AF
De Winter
René
R
Veenstra
Johan
J
Ormel
D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012951:Socialization; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013694:Temperament