title: Latent classes of emotional and behavioural problems in epidemiological and referred samples and their relations to DSM-IV diagnoses.
abstract: Researchers' interest have recently moved toward the identification of recurrent psychopathological profiles characterized by concurrent elevations on different behavioural and emotional traits. This new strategy turned to be useful in terms of diagnosis and outcome prediction. We used a person-centred statistical approach to examine whether different groups could be identified in a referred sample and in a general-population sample of children and adolescents, and we investigated their relation to DSM-IV diagnoses. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) syndrome scales of the referred sample (N = 1225), of the general-population sample (N = 3418), and of the total sample. Models estimating 1-class through 5-class solutions were compared and agreement in the classification of subjects was evaluated. Chi square analyses, a logistic regression, and a multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the relations between classes and diagnoses. In the two samples and in the total sample, the best-fitting models were 4-class solutions. The identified classes were Internalizing Problems (15.68%), Severe Dysregulated (7.82%), Attention/Hyperactivity (10.19%), and Low Problems (66.32%). Subsequent analyses indicated a significant relationship between diagnoses and classes as well as a main association between the severe dysregulated class and comorbidity. Our data suggested the presence of four different psychopathological profiles related to different outcomes in terms of psychopathological diagnoses. In particular, our results underline the presence of a profile characterized by severe emotional and behavioural dysregulation that is mostly associated with the presence of multiple diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy. valentina.bianchi@bp.lnf.it.|Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Milan, Italy. valentina.bianchi@bp.lnf.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2072-0019
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Psychiatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garzitto
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fornasari
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellina
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.|InterUniversity Center for Behavioral Neurosciences (ICBN), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonivento
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tesei
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piccin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.|NeuroMI, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Hermanas Hospitalarias, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perna
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigerio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castiglioni
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fabbro
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molteni
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.|Hermanas Hospitalarias, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nobile
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D057189:Checklist; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011599:Psychopathology
keywords: Adolescence; Child Behaviour Checklist; Childhood; Dysregulation; Latent class analysis (LCA); Psychopathology