A multimethod, multiinformant study of early childhood temperament and depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence

Abstract

There is an extensive literature documenting associations between dimensions of temperament and depressive and anxiety disorders. However, much of the research in this area relies on cross-sectional and monomethod designs, uses samples of older youth and adults, and examines only the main effects of temperament. We examined longitudinal associations between temperamental positive emotionality (PE) and negative emotionality (NE) in early childhood and depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescence. We assessed temperament using laboratory observations and parent reports, and symptoms using youth and parent report. We also examined potential moderators of these associations, including maternal and paternal history of depressive and anxiety disorders, youth experience of stressful life events, and parenting styles. Early childhood NE was associated with both adolescent depression and anxiety. Additionally, life events and psychological controlling and firm parenting moderated the associations between NE and depression symptoms, and maternal depression, paternal anxiety, and psychological controlling and firm parenting moderated the associations between NE and anxiety symptoms. Interaction effects were largely consistent with diathesis-stress interpretations. These findings show that temperamental NE, but not PE, is prospectively associated with risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescence, and that multiple additional factors potentiate these associations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Figure 1.. Full model showing fully standardized associations between early childhood temperament and adolescent depression and anxiety.

Note: All factor loadings to observed indicators are significant at p<.05. *p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001. All model paths are standardized. LT. = Laboratory-Temperament Assessment Battery Observed; TI = Tester Impression Rating; M = Mother Report; F = Father Report; Ch = Child Self-Report; S/L = Smiling Laughter; AA = Approach Anticipation; NA = Negative Affectivity; CDI = Child Depression Inventory; Dep = Depression Symptoms; SCARED = Screen for Anxiety and Related Disorders; Anx = Anxiety Symptoms.

Figure 2.. Conditional effects of temperamental NE on anxiety by maternal depression (Top Left) and paternal anxiety (Top Right) and on depression by stressful life events (Bottom).

Shaded regions around slopes show 95% Confidnce Intervals. Shaded background regions show range of x for which there are associations between the moderator and y. The y-axis is the latent factor score for the specific outcome and the x-axis is the latent NE factor in standardized units.

Figure 3.. Conditional effects of NE on depression (Top Left) and anxiety (Top Right) for parental firm vs. lax control and conditional effects of NE on depression (Bottom Left) and anxiety (Bottom Right) for parental psychological control vs. autonomy.

Shaded regions around slopes show 95% Confidnce Intervals. Shaded background regions show range of x for which there are associations between the moderator and y. The y-axis is the latent factor score for the specific outcome and the x-axis is the latent NE factor in standardized units.