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The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gjerde, LC; Eilertsen, EM; McAdams, TA; Cheesman, R; Moffitt, TE; Caspi, A; Eley, TC; Røysamb, E; Rosenström, TH; Ystrom, E
Published in: Psychological medicine
July 2023

A joint, hierarchical structure of psychopathology and personality has been reported in adults but should also be investigated at earlier ages, as psychopathology often develops before adulthood. Here, we investigate the joint factor structure of psychopathology and personality in eight-year-old children, estimate factor heritability and explore external validity through associations with established developmental risk factors.Phenotypic and biometric exploratory factor analyses with bifactor rotation on genetically informative data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort (MoBa) study. The analytic sub-sample comprised 10 739 children (49% girls). Mothers reported their children's symptoms of depression (Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire), anxiety (Screen for Anxiety Related Disorders), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattention and hyperactivity, oppositional-defiant disorder, conduct disorder (Parent/Teacher Rating Scale for Disruptive Behavior Disorders), and Big Five personality (short Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children). Developmental risk factors (early gestational age and being small for gestational age) were collected from the Medical Birth Registry.Goodness-of-fit indices favored a p factor model with three residual latent factors interpreted as negative affectivity, positive affectivity, and antagonism, whereas psychometric indices favored a one-factor model. ADE solutions fitted best, and regression analyses indicated a negative association between gestational age and the p factor, for both the one- and four-factor solutions.Correlations between normative and pathological traits in middle childhood mostly reflect one heritable and psychometrically interpretable p factor, although optimal fit to data required less interpretable residual latent factors. The association between the p factor and low gestational age warrants further study of early developmental mechanisms.

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Published In

Psychological medicine

DOI

EISSN

1469-8978

ISSN

0033-2917

Publication Date

July 2023

Volume

53

Issue

9

Start / End Page

4275 / 4285

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Psychopathology
  • Psychiatry
  • Personality Disorders
  • Personality
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Child
  • Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
 

Citation

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Gjerde, L. C., Eilertsen, E. M., McAdams, T. A., Cheesman, R., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., … Ystrom, E. (2023). The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors. Psychological Medicine, 53(9), 4275–4285. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291723000077
Gjerde, Line C., Espen Moen Eilertsen, Tom A. McAdams, Rosa Cheesman, Terrie E. Moffitt, Avshalom Caspi, Thalia C. Eley, Espen Røysamb, Tom H. Rosenström, and Eivind Ystrom. “The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors.Psychological Medicine 53, no. 9 (July 2023): 4275–85. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291723000077.
Gjerde LC, Eilertsen EM, McAdams TA, Cheesman R, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, et al. The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors. Psychological medicine. 2023 Jul;53(9):4275–85.
Gjerde, Line C., et al. “The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors.Psychological Medicine, vol. 53, no. 9, July 2023, pp. 4275–85. Epmc, doi:10.1017/s0033291723000077.
Gjerde LC, Eilertsen EM, McAdams TA, Cheesman R, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Eley TC, Røysamb E, Rosenström TH, Ystrom E. The p factor of psychopathology and personality in middle childhood: genetic and gestational risk factors. Psychological medicine. 2023 Jul;53(9):4275–4285.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychological medicine

DOI

EISSN

1469-8978

ISSN

0033-2917

Publication Date

July 2023

Volume

53

Issue

9

Start / End Page

4275 / 4285

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Psychopathology
  • Psychiatry
  • Personality Disorders
  • Personality
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Child
  • Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders