Toddler Temperament Predicts Middle Childhood Mental Health Profiles via Genetic Pathways release_xv6lxelluve6bf3tqiff7ya6ee

Abstract

Temperament is central to later emerging psychopathology and may have clinical utility for predicting the occurrence of symptoms. Often, temperament traits are examined in relation to single disorders although evidence suggests that temperament is a transdiagnostic risk factor. We examine how three factors of temperament at age 2 predict latent classes of symptoms at age 7 in a large community sample of twins (N = 493 pairs). We then fit twin bivariate biometric Cholesky decomposition models for the significant temperament-symptom associations. Higher scores on a temperament factor of high negative affect/low control predicted membership in both moderate and higher severity symptom classes, regardless of specific symptom characteristics in the classes. Lower interest/attention factor scores also predicted classes with both moderate, and especially, more severe symptom elevations. Lower fear factor scores modestly predicted two of the classes with externalizing features. Biometric models showed several genetic, but fewer environmental, mediation paths for the prediction of symptoms from temperament. This work indicates that temperament has some predictive ability from toddlerhood for later symptoms of psychopathology although the effect is not powerful enough to be used alone as a screening tool.
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