The longitudinal association between external locus of control, social cognition and adolescent psychopathology

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal associations between social cognitive ability an external locus of control (externality) and adolescent psychopathology.

Methods: 7058 participants from a prospective population-based cohort provided data on externality, social communication, and emotion perception between 7 and 16 years and psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms at 12 and 18 years. Bivariate probit modelling was used to investigate associations between these risk factors and psychopathological outcomes.

Results: Externality was associated with psychopathology at 12 (psychotic experiences OR 1.23 95% CI 1.14, 1.33; depression OR 1.12 95% CI 1.02, 1.22) and 18 years (psychotic experiences OR 1.38 95% CI 1.23, 1.55; depression OR 1.40 95% CI 1.28, 1.52). Poor social communication was associated with depression at both ages (12 years OR 1.22 95% CI 1.11, 1.34; 18 years OR 1.21 95% CI 1.10, 1.33) and marginally associated with psychotic experiences. There was marginal evidence of a larger association between externality and psychotic experiences at 12 years (p = 0.06) and between social communication and depression at 12 years (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Externality was more strongly associated with psychotic experiences. At 18 years change in externality, between 8 and 16 years were associated with a larger increase in the risk of depression. Poor social communication was more strongly associated with depression.

Keywords: ALSPAC; Depressive symptoms; Psychotic experiences; Social communication.

Fig. 1

Timeline. A time line of data collection points. Key: DANVA Diagnostic Analysis of Non-Verbal Accuracy, SCDC Social and Communication Disorders Checklist, PE psychotic experiences, DS depressive symptoms, LoC locus of control

Fig. 2

a Locus of control, b social communication ability, c emotion perception (faces), and d emotion perception (biological movement)