A general psychopathology factor in early adolescence



Patalay, Praveetha ORCID: 0000-0002-5341-3461, Fonagy, Peter, Deighton, Jessica, Belsky, Jay, Vostanis, Panos and Miranda-Wolpert,
(2015) A general psychopathology factor in early adolescence. BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, 207 (1). pp. 15-22.

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Abstract

Background Recently, a general psychopathology dimension reflecting common aspects among disorders has been identified in adults. This has not yet been considered in children and adolescents, where the focus has been on externalising and internalising dimensions. Aims To examine the existence, correlates and predictive value of a general psychopathology dimension in young people. Method Alternative factor models were estimated using self-reports of symptoms in a large community-based sample aged 11–13.5 years (N= 23 477), and resulting dimensions were assessed in terms of associations with external correlates and future functioning. Results Both a traditional two-factor model and a bi-factor model with a general psychopathology bi-factor fitted the data well. The general psychopathology bi-factor best predicted future psychopathology and academic attainment. Associations with correlates and factor loadings are discussed. Conclusions A general psychopathology factor, which is equal across genders, can be identified in young people. Its associations with correlates and future functioning indicate that investigating this factor can increase our understanding of the aetiology, risk and correlates of psychopathology.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Humans, Logistic Models, Internal-External Control, Child Behavior Disorders, Psychopathology, Models, Psychological, Adolescent, Child, England, Female, Male, Self Report
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 18 Jul 2016 08:33
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 07:34
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.149591
Open Access URL: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1455635/
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3002258