title: Temperamental Characteristics of Withdrawn Behavior Problems in Children.
abstract: Withdrawn/depressed behavior (WD) as defined by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) relates to various outcomes in developmental psychopathology such as depression, pervasive developmental disorders, and suicide. We sought to examine the temperamental characteristics of children who concurrently endorse symptoms of WD. Junior Temperament and Characteristic Inventory (JTCI) and CBCL data were collected from 397 children's parents in a family study in the northeastern United States. Linear mixed models were used to test the relations between WD and temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence) on the JTCI, while controlling for age, sex, item overlap, and co-occurring aggression and attention problems. When controlling for definitional artifact and CBCL aggressive behavior and attention scores, high harm avoidance and low reward dependence were both significant predictors of childhood withdrawn behavior. This study marks the first characterization of a temperamental profile associated with WD in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. david.rubin@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.affiliation: Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Crehan
authors.affiliation: Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Althoff
authors.affiliation: Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rettew
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krist
authors.affiliation: Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Walkup
authors.affiliation: Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D010555:Personality Inventory; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011599:Psychopathology; D012934:Social Isolation; D013694:Temperament
keywords: Child Behavior Checklist; Junior Temperament and Character Inventory; Temperament; Withdrawn behavior