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The natural history of internalizing behaviours from adolescence to emerging adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2016

K. S. Betts ,
P. Baker ,
R. Alati ,
J. E. McIntosh ,
J. A. Macdonald ,
P. Letcher  and
C. A. Olsson
K. S. Betts*
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Herston, QLD, Australia
P. Baker
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Herston, QLD, Australia
R. Alati
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Herston, QLD, Australia
J. E. McIntosh
Affiliation:
Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
J. A. Macdonald
Affiliation:
Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
P. Letcher
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
C. A. Olsson
Affiliation:
Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
*
*Address for correspondence: K. S. Betts, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.Ed., School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, 4th Floor, Public Health Building, Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

The aims of the study were to describe the patterning and persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood and to examine long-term developmental relationships with earlier patterns of internalizing behaviours in childhood.

Method

We used parallel processes latent growth curve modelling to build trajectories of internalizing from adolescence to adulthood, using seven waves of follow-ups (ages 11–27 years) from 1406 participants of the Australian Temperament Project. We then used latent factors to capture the stability of maternal reported child internalizing symptoms across three waves of early childhood follow-ups (ages 5, 7 and 9 years), and examined relationships among these patterns of symptoms across the three developmental periods, adjusting for gender and socio-economic status.

Results

We observed strong continuity in depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. In contrast, adolescent anxiety was not persistent across the same period, nor was it related to later depressive symptoms. Anxiety was, however, related to non-specific stress in young adulthood, but only moderately so. Although childhood internalizing was related to adolescent and adult profiles, the associations were weak and indirect by adulthood, suggesting that other factors are important in the development of internalizing symptoms.

Conclusions

Once established, adolescent depressive symptoms are not only strongly persistent, but also have the potential to differentiate into anxiety in young adulthood. Relationships with childhood internalizing symptoms are weak, suggesting that early adolescence may be an important period for targeted intervention, but also that further research into the childhood origins of internalizing behaviours is needed.

Keywords

Adolescenceanxietychildhooddepressionyoung adulthood
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 13 , October 2016 , pp. 2815 - 2827
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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