Child to adult continuities of psychopathology: a 24-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To determine continuities of mental health problems of children across a 24-year follow-up period.


METHODS
In 1983, parent ratings of emotional and behavioral problems were collected with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a general population sample of 2076 children. Twenty-four years later, 1365 participants completed Adult Self-Reports (ASR) to assess emotional and behavioral problems.


RESULTS
Of the participants who were classified as deviant in childhood, 22.2% were also classified as deviant in adulthood. Both homotypic and heterotypic continuity was found. Childhood aggressive, delinquent, and anxious/depressed problems were associated with most adult psychopathology. Attention problems did not predict later problems independently.


CONCLUSIONS
Even though assessed with parent-reports in childhood and analogous self-reports in adulthood, and over a large period of 24 years, continuity of psychopathology was found from childhood into adulthood. Anxious/depressed problems, delinquent behavior and aggressive behavior in childhood are core predictors for adult psychopathology.
Reef
J
J
Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam 3000 CB, the Netherlands.
Diamantopoulou
S
S
van Meurs
I
I
Verhulst
F
F
van der Ende
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult