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A long-term look at “early starters”: Predicting adult psychosocial outcomes from childhood conduct problem trajectories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2020

Maeve Cyr Open the ORCID record for Maeve Cyr [Opens in a new window] ,
Yao Zheng  and
Robert J. McMahon
Maeve Cyr*
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Yao Zheng
Affiliation:
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Robert J. McMahon
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*
Author for correspondence: Maeve Cyr, Department of Psychology, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5A 1S6;. E-mail: maeve_cyr@sfu.ca.
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Abstract

Current evidence suggests that multiple pathways of “early-starting” conduct problems exist, including persisting and declining trajectories. Since relatively little is known about the early onset-declining pathway, this study examined the long-term outcomes of different childhood conduct problem trajectories in a disproportionately high-risk sample (N = 754). Parents reported on children's conduct problems at six time points (kindergarten to grade 7). At age 25, psychosocial outcomes were assessed across five domains (psychopathology, substance use, risky sexual behavior, antisocial behavior, and adaptive outcomes). Four childhood conduct problem trajectories were identified: extremely high increasing (EHI; 3.7%), high stable (HS; 22.0%), moderate decreasing (MD; 38.8%), and low decreasing (LD; 35.5%). The EHI and HS groups displayed the poorest psychosocial functioning at age 25, whereas the LD group exhibited the most positive adjustment. Although individuals in the MD group displayed relatively positive adjustment on some outcomes, they displayed more psychopathology and lower well-being in adulthood than the LD group. These findings suggest that there are diverse pathways of early-starting conduct problems, and that all early starters are at risk for later maladjustment. However, the degree and type of risk is related to the severity of conduct problems throughout childhood.

Keywords

adult outcomesconduct problemsearly starterslatent class growth analysistrajectories
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , February 2022 , pp. 225 - 240
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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