1
|
Riglin L, Dennison C, Martin J, Tseliou F, Armitage JM, Shakeshaft A, Heron J, Tilling K, Thapar A, Collishaw S. Emotional problems across development: examining measurement invariance across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02461-3. [PMID: 38755320 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02461-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Emotional problems (anxiety, depression) are prevalent in children, adolescents and young adults with varying ages at onset. Studying developmental changes in emotional problems requires repeated assessments using the same or equivalent measures. The parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire is commonly used to assess emotional problems in childhood and adolescence, but there is limited research about whether it captures a similar construct across these developmental periods. Our study addressed this by investigating measurement invariance in the scales' emotional problems subscale (SDQ-EP) across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Data from two UK population cohorts were utilised: the Millennium Cohort Study (ages 3-17 years) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (4-25 years). In both samples we observed weak (metric) measurement invariance by age, suggesting that the parent-rated SDQ-EP items contribute to the underlying construct of emotional problems similarly across age. This supports the validity of using the subscale to rank participants on their levels of emotional problems in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. However strong (scalar) measurement invariance was not observed, suggesting that the same score may correspond to different levels of emotional problems across developmental periods. Comparisons of mean parent-rated SDQ-EP scores across age may therefore not be valid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Riglin
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.
| | - Charlotte Dennison
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Joanna Martin
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Foteini Tseliou
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jessica M Armitage
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Amy Shakeshaft
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jon Heron
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kate Tilling
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Anita Thapar
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stephan Collishaw
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Toseeb U, Vincent J, Asbury K. Genetic influences on sibling bullying and mental health difficulties. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38333945 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sibling bullying is associated with mental health difficulties; both in the short and long term. It is commonly assumed that sibling bullying leads to mental health difficulties but additional explanations for the relationship between the two are seldom investigated. METHODS To address this gap in knowledge, we used a genetically sensitive design with data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (maximum N = 3,959, 53% female). At ages 11-13 years, individuals self-reported their involvement in sibling bullying, as a victim and perpetrator, and parents reported on their child's mental health difficulties. Polygenic scores, indices of genetic risk for psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) were computed using children's genetic data. Regression and structural equation models were fitted to the data. RESULTS Sibling bullying, victimisation and perpetration, and polygenic scores both predicted mental health difficulties in an additive manner but there was no interaction between them. Polygenic scores for mental health difficulties were also associated with sibling bullying. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that sibling bullying, victimisation and perpetration, is associated with mental health difficulties, even after accounting for some genetic effects. Additionally, the relationship between sibling bullying and mental health difficulties may be, at least partly, due to shared genetic aetiology. One possibility is that genetic risk for mental health difficulties influences the onset of mental health difficulties which in turn make children more susceptible to sibling bullying.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umar Toseeb
- Department of Education, University of York, York, UK
| | - John Vincent
- Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morneau‐Vaillancourt G, Oginni O, Assary E, Krebs G, Thompson EJ, Palaiologou E, Lockhart C, Arseneault L, Eley TC. A cross-lagged twin study of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1569-1582. [PMID: 37280133 PMCID: PMC7615178 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, are common during adolescence, often persist over time, and can precede the emergence of severe anxiety and depressive disorders. Studies suggest that a vicious cycle of reciprocal influences between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties may explain why some adolescents suffer from persisting emotional symptoms. However, the role of different types of interpersonal difficulties, such as social isolation and peer victimisation, in these reciprocal associations is still unclear. In addition, the lack of longitudinal twin studies conducted on emotional symptoms during adolescence means that the genetic and environmental contributions to these relationships during adolescence remain unknown. METHODS Participants (N = 15,869) from the Twins Early Development Study completed self-reports of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation at 12, 16 and 21 years old. A phenotypic cross-lagged model examined reciprocal associations between variables over time, and a genetic extension of this model examined the aetiology of the relationships between variables at each timepoint. RESULTS First, emotional symptoms were reciprocally and independently associated with both social isolation and peer victimisation over time, indicating that different forms of interpersonal difficulties uniquely contributed to emotional symptoms during adolescence and vice versa. Second, early peer victimisation predicted later emotional symptoms via social isolation in mid-adolescence, indicating that social isolation may constitute an intermediate pathway through which peer victimisation predicts longer-term emotional symptoms. Finally, individual differences in emotional symptoms were mostly accounted for by non-shared environmental factors at each timepoint, and both gene-environment and individual-specific environmental mechanisms were involved in the relationships between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the necessity to intervene early in adolescence to prevent the escalation of emotional symptoms over time and to consider social isolation and peer victimisation as important risk factors for the long-term persistence of emotional symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geneviève Morneau‐Vaillancourt
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Olakunle Oginni
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Mental HealthObafemi Awolowo UniversityIle‐IfeNigeria
| | - Elham Assary
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Georgina Krebs
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ellen J. Thompson
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, School of Life Course and Population SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Elisavet Palaiologou
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Celestine Lockhart
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Louise Arseneault
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Thalia C. Eley
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research CentreSouth London and Maudsley HospitalLondonUK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shakeshaft A, Heron J, Blakey R, Riglin L, Smith GD, Stergiakouli E, Tilling K, Thapar A. Co-development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic trait trajectories from childhood to early adulthood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1596-1607. [PMID: 37350028 PMCID: PMC7615536 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, defined as traits or disorders, commonly co-occur. Developmental trajectories of ADHD and autistic traits both show heterogeneity in onset and course, but little is known about how symptom trajectories co-develop into adulthood. METHODS Using data from a population cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we examined correlations between ADHD and autistic traits across development, using the Social Communication Disorders Checklist and ADHD subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We modelled joint developmental trajectories of parent-reported ADHD and autistic traits between 4 and 25 years, then characterised trajectory classes based on sociodemographic, perinatal, psychopathology, cognition and social functioning variables and tested for associations with neurodevelopmental/psychiatric polygenic scores (PGS). RESULTS Three classes of trajectories were identified; a typically developing majority with low-stable ADHD-autistic traits (87%), a male-predominant subgroup with child/adolescent-declining traits (6%) and a subgroup with late-emerging traits (6%). ADHD-autistic trait correlations were greatest in young adulthood for the two nontypically developing classes. There were higher rates of emotional and conduct problems, low IQ, childhood seizures and poor social functioning in the declining and late-emerging classes compared to the low-stable class. Emotional, conduct and peer problems were more prevalent during childhood in the childhood/adolescent-declining class compared to other classes, but were more prevalent in young adulthood in the late-emerging class. Neurodevelopmental/psychiatric PGS also differed: both nontypically developing classes showed elevated ADHD PGS compared to the low-stable group, and the late-emerging group additionally showed elevated schizophrenia PGS and decreased executive function PGS, whereas the declining group showed elevated broad depression PGS. CONCLUSIONS Distinct patterns of ADHD-autism co-development are present across development in the general population, each with different characterising factors and genetic signatures as indexed by PGS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shakeshaft
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jon Heron
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Rachel Blakey
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Lucy Riglin
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - George Davey Smith
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Evie Stergiakouli
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kate Tilling
- Population Health Sciences and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Anita Thapar
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Toseeb U, Vincent J, Oginni OA, Asbury K, Newbury DF. The Development of Mental Health Difficulties in Young People With and Without Developmental Language Disorder: A Gene-Environment Interplay Study Using Polygenic Scores. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:1639-1657. [PMID: 37040695 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-22-00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) have poorer mental health than those without DLD. However, not all young people with DLD are equally affected; some have more mental health difficulties than others. What explains these differences remains unclear. METHOD Data from a community cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, were analyzed to investigate genetic and environmental influences on the development of mental health difficulties at five time points from childhood (7 years) to adolescence (16 years) in 6,387 young people (8.7% with DLD). Regression and latent class models were fitted to the data. RESULTS Polygenic scores (PGSs), indices of genetic risk, for common psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) predicted mental health difficulties in both groups (with and without DLD). The presence of DLD, in some instances, amplified mental health difficulties for those with high genetic risk for common psychiatric disorders. Subgroups of children with similar developmental trajectories of mental health difficulties were identified. Young people with DLD were more likely than those without DLD to follow mental health subgroups characterized by consistently high levels of difficulties during development. PGSs, socioeconomic status, and the early home environment distinguished subgroups with low mental health difficulties from those characterized by high levels of difficulties, but these effects did not differ based on DLD status. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that, for the most part, both genetic and environmental risk affect the development of mental health difficulties in a cumulative way for young people with DLD (and those without). Some analysis did, however, suggest that genetic risk for common psychiatric disorders might manifest more strongly in those with DLD compared with those without DLD. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22351012.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umar Toseeb
- Department of Education, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - John Vincent
- Department of Education, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Olakunle A Oginni
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
- Department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Kathryn Asbury
- Department of Education, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Dianne F Newbury
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|