Longitudinal associations between positive attributes and psychopathology and their interactive effects on educational outcomes

Author(s)

Romani-Sponchiado, Aline ^{[1, 2]} ; Vidal-Ribas, Pablo ^[3] ; Bressan, Rodrigo Affonseca ^{[4, 5]} ; Mari, Jair de Jesus ^{[4, 5]} ; Miguel, Euripedes Constantino ^{[6, 5]} ; Gadelha, Ary ^[7] ; Paim Rohde, Luis Augusto ^{[5, 8, 9, 1]} ; Evans-Lacko, Sara ^[10] ; Salum, Giovanni Abrahao ^{[5, 1, 2]} ; Hoffmann, Mauricio Scopel ^{[11, 5, 1, 2, 10]}

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2350 Room 2202, BR-90035003 Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Hosp Clin Porto Alegre, Sect Negat Affect & Social Proc, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[3] Eunice Kennedy Shriver Natl Inst Child Hlth & Hum, Social & Behav Sci Branch, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892 - USA

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[5] Natl Inst Dev Psychiat Children & Adolescents INC, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[7] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Lab Integrat Neurosci LINC, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Hosp Clin Porto Alegre, Dev Psychiat Program, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[9] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Hosp Clin Porto Alegre, ADHD Outpatient Program, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[10] London Sch Econ & Polit Sci, Care Policy & Evaluat Ctr, London - England

^[11] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY; SEP 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Psychopathology is associated with impaired learning and early termination of schooling, whereas positive attributes are associated with better educational outcomes. However, it is important to understand if and how psychopathology and positive attributes longitudinally impact each other so we could shed light on where to intervene to promote educational outcomes through these constructs. A large prospective school-based community cohort of youths (5-15 years of age, 45% female) were assessed and followed up for 3 years (n = 2010; 80% retention). We assessed the longitudinal impact of positive attributes (Youth Strength Inventory) and psychopathology (bifactor model of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) using a cross-lagged panel model. We also used generalized mixed effects models to investigate how these both constructs predict school dropout and literacy, adjusting for confounders and testing their interaction. Positive attributes negatively predicted, and were negatively predicted by, the general factor of psychopathology and conduct problems in the cross-lagged panel model. Positive attributes (OR = 0.57, 95% CI {[}0.44, 0.73], p < 0.001) and specific conduct symptoms (OR = 2.33, 95% CI {[}1.64, 3.33], p < 0.001) predicted school dropout, whereas the general factor of psychopathology predicted lower literacy ability (beta = - 0.08, 95% CI {[}- 0.11, - 0.05], p < 0.001). However, the protective association of positive attributes on school dropout decreases as the general factor of psychopathology increases. These findings provide new evidence that positive attributes and psychopathology mutually influence each other over development and have interactive effects on educational outcomes. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/50917-0 - INCT 2014: developmental psychiatry for children and adolescents
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 08/57896-8 - National Institute for Developmental Psychiatry
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants