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Empirical Validation of the Ontogenic Process Model of Externalizing Psychopathology in a Longitudinal Sample of Children and Adolescents

Bell, Ziv E
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1592761276335827

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Ontogenic process models of psychopathology describe mechanisms through which heritable traits interact with environmental risk factors to produce increasingly severe psychopathology across development. For example, many boys who exhibit heritable trait impulsivity—expressed as hyperactivity-impulsivity very early in life—develop more severe externalizing behaviors across the lifespan, specifically in contexts of environmental risk. Progression from the hyperactive-impulsive (-HI) and combined (-C) presentations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to increasingly intractable externalizing conduct among boys has been described for over 50 years. This pathway is characterized by ADHD-HI/C in the preschool years, followed in rough temporal sequence by oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) later in childhood, substance use disorders (SUDs) in late adolescence, and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in adulthood. Among trait-impulsive girls, environmental risk exposure often eventuates in self-inflicted injury (SII) and suicidal behavior (SB). Environmental risk factors mediate progression from ADHD very early in life to more severe psychopathology across development. These risk factors include maltreatment, coercive family dynamics that shape and maintain emotional lability, deviant peer affiliations, and neighborhood violence and criminality. To date, however, only a handful of studies have followed children into adolescence and young adulthood, meaning that most tests of ontogenic process models have been piecemeal. Many studies on externalizing psychopathology also historically evaluated predominantly male samples. Data from the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study were used to evaluate the ontogenic process model of externalizing psychopathology, including progression and mediation of externalizing symptoms across development. Sex differences in externalizing outcomes and SII were also evaluated. In LAMS, 685 children, ages 6-12 years at study entry, were assessed every 6 months for 8 years. Although participants were recruited specifically for elevated manic symptoms—not ADHD—77% (n=527) received an ADHD diagnosis at study entry according to structured interviews. Parenting stress, parent-child relationship dysfunction, and neighborhood violence predicted externalizing progression. Externalizing diagnoses demonstrated strong continuity and predicted progression to other externalizing diagnoses. Confirmatory factor analyses provided mixed support for the latent structure of externalizing symptoms described in the ontogenic process model. As expected, hyperactive/impulsive symptoms of ADHD were more strongly associated with long-term externalizing outcomes than inattentive symptoms of ADHD. Sex differences were less pronounced than expected for externalizing and self-injurious outcomes. Machine learning outperformed a logistic regression model in predicting emergence of SII in adolescence from childhood data. However, error rates were still relatively high. Approximately one-third of predicted negatives were false negatives and almost half of predicted positives were false positives. Implications for identifying children who are vulnerable to developing severe conduct problems and SII are discussed.
Theodore Beauchaine (Committee Chair)
Mary Fristad (Committee Member)
Michael Vasey (Committee Member)
149 p.
Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology
Externalizing psychopathology; Developmental psychopathology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bell, Z. E. (2020). Empirical Validation of the Ontogenic Process Model of Externalizing Psychopathology in a Longitudinal Sample of Children and Adolescents [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1592761276335827

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bell, Ziv. Empirical Validation of the Ontogenic Process Model of Externalizing Psychopathology in a Longitudinal Sample of Children and Adolescents. 2020. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1592761276335827.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bell, Ziv. "Empirical Validation of the Ontogenic Process Model of Externalizing Psychopathology in a Longitudinal Sample of Children and Adolescents." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1592761276335827

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1592761276335827
358
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