Depressive and Anxious Symptoms in Early Childhood: Prediction by Emotion Self-Regulation

• In Event: Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Rationale: Emotion self-regulation, or the ability to modify emotions, is a key developmental task of early childhood (Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Eggum, 2010; Thompson, 1994). Young children who show difficulty with emotion self-regulation are at greater risk of experiencing symptoms of depression (e.g., sadness, worthlessness) and anxiety (e.g., fearfulness, worries; Calkins & Perry, 2016; Compas et al., 2017; Mathews, Koehn, Adtahi, & Kerns, 2016; Whalen, Sylvester, & Luby, 2017). Specific dimensions of emotion self-regulation may act as predictors of children’s distinct experiences of depressive and anxious symptoms across early childhood (Bridges, Denham, & Ganiban, 2004; Calkins & Perry, 2016; Gross & Thompson, 2007). For instance, children’s ability to self-regulate negative (e.g., sadness, anger) and exuberant (e.g., excitement) emotions, maintain positive emotions (e.g., happiness, content), and respond appropriately to disappointing events may influence and distinguish between typical and elevated or increasing depressive and anxious symptoms. The purpose of the current study was to examine: 1) distinct patterns of change in depressive and anxious symptoms in early childhood; and 2) whether dimensions of emotion self-regulation predict these patterns. Method: The study included 443 children assessed in the fall and spring of preschool and kindergarten, totaling four waves of assessment. Children’s depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed at all waves by teacher-report (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). Dimensions of emotion self-regulation were assessed at the fall of preschool by teacher-report (positive emotion maintenance, negative and exuberant emotion self-regulation; Shields & Cicchetti, 1997) and by a behavioral assessment that measured children’s response to receiving a disappointing gift (positive and negative response to disappointment; Cole, 1986). Results: Growth mixture modeling (Muthén & Muthén, 2017) identified two distinct patterns of depressive symptoms: high-stable and low-stable. Compared to children with a low-stable pattern of depressive symptoms, children with a high-stable pattern were more likely to show greater positive emotion maintenance and negative response to disappointment as well as less negative and exuberant emotion self-regulation at fall of preschool. For anxious symptoms, three distinct patterns were identified: low-increasing, high-decreasing, and low-stable. Compared to children with a low-stable pattern of anxious symptoms, children with low-increasing or high-decreasing patterns were more likely to show less positive emotion maintenance and negative emotion self-regulation at fall of preschool. Children with a low-increasing pattern of anxious symptoms were also more likely to show less exuberant emotion self-regulation and greater positive and negative response to disappointment, while children with a high-decreasing pattern were more likely to show greater exuberant emotion self-regulation and less positive and negative response to disappointment. Conclusions & Implications: The current study’s findings suggest that distinct patterns of depressive and anxious symptoms are evident as early as preschool and that dimensions of emotion self-regulation can act as unique early predictors of typical versus elevated or increasing symptoms. Promotion of strategies to support children in self-regulating their negative and exuberant emotions, maintaining positive emotions, and responding appropriately to disappointing situations may help deter depressive and anxious symptoms as well as promote positive engagement in the early school context (Gueldner & Merrell, 2011).

Authors

• Brenna Zatto, University of Alberta
  Presenting Author

• Zoe Collins, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Abby MacLean, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kristyn Gannon, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Wendy L G Hoglund, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author