Transactional relations between developmental trajectories of executive functioning and internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in adolescence

Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Extant research demonstrates that executive functioning (EF) is associated with psychopathology outcomes in ad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Development and psychopathology 2022-02, Vol.34 (1), p.213-224
Main Authors: Brieant, Alexis, King-Casas, Brooks, Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Adolescent
Adolescents
Age
Behavior
Child development
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
Executive Function
Female
Humans
Male
Psychopathology
Regular Article
Regulation
Risk Factors
Teenagers
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Summary:Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Extant research demonstrates that executive functioning (EF) is associated with psychopathology outcomes in adolescence; however, it has yet to be examined how EF and psychopathology develop transactionally over time. Data were collected from 167 adolescents (47% female, 13–14 years old at Time 1) and their primary caregiver over 4 years. At each time point, adolescents completed three behavioral tasks that capture the underlying dimensions of EF, and both adolescents and their primary caregiver completed measures of adolescent psychopathology. Latent growth curve modeling was used to test the associations between initial levels and trajectories of EF and psychopathology. Results indicated that higher initial levels of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology were associated with lower EF at Time 4 (controlling for Time 1 EF). Initial levels of EF did not predict changes in internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. These findings suggest that early psychopathology may be a risk factor for maladaptive EF development in adolescence.
ISSN:0954-5794
1469-2198
DOI:10.1017/S0954579420001054