Poster #54 - Early Childhood Adjustment Problems and (Mal)Adaptive Functioning in Emerging Adulthood

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Childhood adjustment problems are related to a broad range of outcomes (e.g., Bayer, Hastings, Sanson, Ukoumunne, & Rubin, 2010; Chen, 2016). As most studies are based on a short follow-up period, less is known about childhood adjustment problems as early predictors of emerging adulthood functioning. Also, as externalizing problems are often the focus of study, long-term effects of internalizing problems and the co-occurrence of internalizing and externalizing problems remain understudied.
Aim: The current study aimed to examine whether early childhood internalizing and externalizing problems and their co-occurrence were related to (mal)adaptive functioning in emerging adulthood.
Methods: Multi-informant prospective data (N = 374; 45.5% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study were used. At Time 1 (1999; Mage = 5.86 years) mothers rated children’s externalizing and internalizing problems with the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Verhulst, Van der Ende, & Koot, 1996). Co-occurrence of both adjustment problems were created based on their interaction term. Sixteen years later, outcomes in emerging adulthood were measured through adult self-reports at Time 2 (2015; Mage = 21.86 years) across the following six domains: (1) psychological functioning (e.g. aggressive behavior, anxious/depressed behavior, and personality disorders), (2) social functioning (e.g. social problems), (3) cognitive functioning (e.g. thought problems), (4) work (e.g. satisfaction regarding work), (5) physical health (e.g. sleep problems), and (6) self-concept (e.g. identity processes and self-efficacy). Multiple bootstrapped hierarchical regression analyses were performed in order to analyze the relation between externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and co-occurrence at Time 1 and (mal)adaptive outcomes at Time 2.
Results: First, internalizing problems in early childhood were positively related to anxious/depressed behavior in emerging adulthood. Second, early externalizing problems were positively related to psychological problems (such as withdrawn behavior, somatic complaints, and aggressive behavior) and to multiple personality disorders (psychological domain). Externalizing problems were associated with a higher frequency of social problems and with a lower satisfaction regarding romantic relations in emerging adulthood (social domain). Participants showing externalizing problems in early childhood reported lower satisfaction regarding general health (physical domain). Externalizing problems at Time 1 were positively related with ruminative exploration at Time 2, a maladaptive identity process from the self-concept domain. Third, there were no significant associations for co-occurrence of externalizing and internalizing problems in early childhood and (mal)adaptive outcomes at Time 2.
Conclusion and Discussion: The results indicate that early childhood adjustment problems were related to emerging adulthood functioning. Specifically early childhood externalizing problems were related to a wide range of maladaptive functioning sixteen years later. Results seem to suggest that the effects of externalizing problems prolongs far into emerging adulthood, whereas internalizing problems alone or in combination with externalizing problems, indicate a possible recovery process over time. The results of the current study indicate that children experiencing externalizing problems in early childhood might need to be identified early to receive more attention in prevention and intervention programs. Future research should focus on the mechanisms within the developmental pathway from early childhood onwards to further unravel the pathway into successful, healthy, and happy emerging adulthood.

Authors

• Ildeniz Arslan, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
  Presenting Author

• Nicole Lucassen, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Pol van Lier, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amaranta D de Haan, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Peter Prinzie, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  Non-Presenting Author