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Panel information
Panel 6. Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

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Introduction: Internalizing and externalizing problems in childhood are associated with poor academic, social, and behavioral functioning in adolescence and beyond. Identifying mechanisms of psychopathology in childhood is crucial for the promotion of early prevention and intervention strategies. Prior research has established the association between parent psychopathology and children's internalizing and externalizing problems, but it is unclear what explains this association. One potential mechanism underlying the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology is difficulties in child emotion regulation—the ability to modulate the arousal and expression of emotions as they arise. Parental psychopathology is associated with increased difficulties in children's emotion regulation, and emotion dysregulation has been linked to increased internalizing and externalizing problems during childhood. However, no studies have examined child emotion dysregulation as a mediator between parent and child psychopathology in early childhood. Thus, the current study examines whether child emotion dysregulation mediates the association between parental psychopathology and children's psychopathology, including internalizing and externalizing problems in early childhood. We hypothesized that child emotion dysregulation would help explain the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology, such that greater levels of parent psychopathology would be associated with child emotion dysregulation and, in turn, greater levels of children's internalizing and externalizing problems.

Methods: The current study is part of an ongoing longitudinal study of children (N=231, 3–7 years old) and their caregivers. Mothers and fathers self-reported their total problem behaviors utilizing the Adult Self-Report. Parents and teachers reported the child’s ability to regulate their emotions utilizing the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Parents and teachers reported their child’s psychopathology symptoms on the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments, including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1.5–5, CBCL 6–18, and Caregiver–Teacher Report Form. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling examining concurrent associations and controlled for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Results: Results indicated there were significant direct effects of maternal psychopathology on children’s internalizing (β=.20, p<.001) and externalizing problems (β=.16, p<.001). Paternal psychopathology had a significant direct effect on children’s internalizing (β=.21, p<.001) but not externalizing problems (β=.12, p=.064). There was a significant indirect effect of child emotion dysregulation on the association between maternal psychopathology and both child internalizing (β=.20, p<.001) and externalizing problems (β=.19, p<.001). Additionally, there was a significant indirect effect of child emotion dysregulation on the association between paternal psychopathology and children's internalizing problems (β=.16, p<.001) and externalizing problems (β=.15, p<.001).

Discussion: Child emotion dysregulation partially mediated the association between mother and father psychopathology on children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. Specifically, greater parent psychopathology was associated with children’s greater emotion dysregulation and, in turn, internalizing and externalizing problems. Findings are consistent with the notion that emotion regulation is a transdiagnostic process that helps account for the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology in early childhood. Findings may promote interventions focusing on emotion regulation strategies to lessen the impact of parental psychopathology on their children.

Author information

Author	Role
Molly Marie Guerra, University of Iowa	Presenting author
Alexis Hosch, University of Iowa	Non-presenting author
Isaac Petersen, University of Iowa	Non-presenting author

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