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Childhood family factors predict developmental trajectories of hostility and anger: a prospective study from childhood into middle adulthood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2013

C. Hakulinen ,
M. Jokela ,
M. Hintsanen ,
L. Pulkki-Råback ,
T. Hintsa ,
P. Merjonen ,
K. Josefsson ,
M. Kähönen ,
O. T. Raitakari  and
L. Keltikangas-Järvinen
C. Hakulinen
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
M. Jokela
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
M. Hintsanen
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
L. Pulkki-Råback
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
T. Hintsa
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
P. Merjonen
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
K. Josefsson
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
M. Kähönen
Affiliation:
Medical School, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
O. T. Raitakari
Affiliation:
Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
L. Keltikangas-Järvinen*
Affiliation:
IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr L. Keltikangas-Järvinen, IBS, Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 9, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Low socio-economic status (SES), and a conflictive, cold and unsupportive family environment in childhood have been associated with early adulthood hostility. However, it is unknown whether this association changes in magnitude with age from childhood to adulthood. We investigated whether childhood family factors (SES and parental child-rearing style) predicted differential development of offspring hostility and anger from early to middle adulthood.

Method

Between 2041 and 2316 participants (age range 3–18 years at baseline) were selected from the longitudinal Young Finns study. The participants were followed for 27 years between 1980 and 2007. Childhood SES and parent's self-reported child-rearing style were measured twice: at baseline and 3 years after baseline. Hostility and anger were assessed with self-report questionnaires at 12, 17, 21 and 27 years after baseline.

Results

Low parental SES and hostile child-rearing style at baseline predicted higher mean levels of offspring anger and hostility. Low parental SES and one of the hostile child-rearing style components (strict disciplinary style) became more strongly associated with offspring hostility with age, suggesting an accumulating effect.

Conclusions

Childhood family factors predict the development of hostility and anger over 27 years and some of these family factors have a long-term accumulating effect on the development of hostility.

Keywords

Angerfamily factorshostilitylongitudinal studiesmultilevel modellingsocio-economic status
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 43 , Issue 11 , November 2013 , pp. 2417 - 2426
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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