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Open Access 01-12-2018 | Original Contribution

Early adolescent outcomes of joint developmental trajectories of problem behavior and IQ in childhood

Authors: Eirini Flouri, Efstathios Papachristou, Emily Midouhas, Heather Joshi, George B. Ploubidis, Glyn Lewis

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 12/2018

Abstract

General cognitive ability (IQ) and problem behavior (externalizing and internalizing problems) are variable and inter-related in children. However, it is unknown how they co-develop in the general child population and how their patterns of co-development may be related to later outcomes. We carried out this study to explore this. Using data from 16,844 Millennium Cohort Study children, we fitted three-parallel-process growth mixture models to identify joint developmental trajectories of internalizing, externalizing and IQ scores at ages 3–11 years. We then examined their associations with age 11 outcomes. We identified a typically developing group (83%) and three atypical groups, all with worse behavior and ability: children with improving behavior and low (but improving in males) ability (6%); children with persistently high levels of problems and low ability (5%); and children with worsening behavior and low ability (6%). Compared to typically developing children, the latter two groups were more likely to show poor decision-making, be bullies or bully victims, engage in antisocial behaviors, skip and dislike school, be unhappy and have low self-esteem. By contrast, children (especially males) in the improver group had outcomes that were similar to, or even better than, those of their typically developing peers. These findings encourage the development of interventions to target children with both cognitive and behavioral difficulties.

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Title: Early adolescent outcomes of joint developmental trajectories of problem behavior and IQ in childhood
Authors: Eirini Flouri
Efstathios Papachristou
Emily Midouhas
Heather Joshi
George B. Ploubidis
Glyn Lewis
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 12/2018
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1155-7

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Early adolescent outcomes of joint developmental trajectories of problem behavior and IQ in childhood

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