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Applying both latent variable and network frameworks, we conducted a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the diverse array of symptoms from three externalizing dimensions, including attention problems, aggressive behavior, and delinquency/rule-breaking of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991) across six time points from childhood to early adolescence. We also examined sex differences. Participants (N = 1,339) were drawn from two multisite longitudinal studies: Fast Track and the Child Development Project. Parents reported on externalizing psychopathology in kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. Using exploratory structural equation modeling, we found almost uniformly excellent fit across time and samples. However, we also observed multiple cross-loadings and heterogeneity in terms of which symptoms cross-loaded across time points. Alternatively, using network modeling, we observed that symptoms of attention problems and aggressive behavior had stronger connections, relative to delinquency/rule-breaking, across time and samples. Significant differences in overall connectivity were found at early (kindergarten vs. Grade 1, Grade 1 vs. Grade 2) and late (Grade 5 vs. Grade 7) time points for the combined sample and only late time points for the male sample. In addition, the items impulsive and lies or cheats consistently displayed the greatest bridge strength, that is, symptom from one dimension that connects to symptoms from another dimension, across time and samples. Our results illustrate how two methods-latent variable and network modeling-provide important and complementary information on multidimensional constructs. Findings also inform understanding of externalizing psychopathology through childhood to early adolescence by identifying key symptoms, critical transition points, and possible transdiagnostic liabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many sports, elite players outperform novices on tests for perceptual-cognitive skills, such as anticipation, decision-making and pattern recall. However, the developmental trajectory of these perceptual-cognitive skills has received limited attention. Therefore, this study examined the development of anticipation, decision-making and pattern recall in 202 female volleyball players aged between 7 and 26 years old. Participants were categorized into six age groups: U9, U11, U13, U15, U17 and Seniors. Using a video-based occlusion protocol, we assessed participants' ability to predict pass direction, decide the most optimal attack zone, or recall the opponents' defence positions. The results demonstrated that U17 and adult players had superior accuracy and shorter response times than younger players on all three tests. Notably, U9 players performed worse than older players on all tests. Binomial distributions showed that decision-making was above chance for U17 players and adults, whereas anticipation was above chance for almost all players. Our findings indicate that age-related improvements of perceptual-cognitive skills are evident at 11 years old. However, decision-making seems to develop considerably later than anticipation and pattern recall, suggesting different developmental trajectories for the different perceptual-cognitive skills. Longitudinal research regarding the development of perceptual-cognitive skills and their underlying mechanisms is warranted, as this could have important implications for talent detection and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early‐onset depression during childhood and adolescence is associated with a worse course of illness and outcome than adult onset. However, the genetic factors that influence risk for early‐onset depression remain mostly unknown. Using data collected over 13 years, we examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) that capture genetic risk for depression were associated with depressive symptom trajectories assessed from childhood to adolescence. Methods: Data came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort (analytic sample = 7,308 youth). We analyzed the relationship between genetic susceptibility to depression and three time‐dependent measures of depressive symptoms trajectories spanning 4–16.5 years of age (class, onset, and cumulative burden). Trajectories were constructed using a growth mixture model with structured residuals. PRS were generated from the summary statistics of a genome‐wide association study of depression risk using data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, UK Biobank, and 23andMe, Inc. We used MAGMA to identify gene‐level associations with these measures. Results: Youth were classified into six classes of depressive symptom trajectories: high/renitent (27.9% of youth), high/reversing (9.1%), childhood decrease (7.3%), late childhood peak (3.3%), adolescent spike (2.5%), and minimal symptoms (49.9%). PRS discriminated between youth in the late childhood peak, high/reversing, and high/renitent classes compared to the minimal symptoms and childhood decrease classes. No significant associations were detected at the gene level. Conclusions: This study highlights differences in polygenic loading for depressive symptoms across childhood and adolescence, particularly among youths with high symptoms in early adolescence, regardless of age‐independent patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood physical fitness relative to adult health outcomes coupled with scant longitudinal research indicates that tracking of fitness components throughout childhood/adolescence is imperative. The study examined the stability/tracking of 9 measures of fitness for boys and girls at 5 points throughout childhood/adolescence. Tracking coefficients between individual fitness measures at various age comparisons were calculated. Using a sample with recorded data at 4 time-points, tertiles (high, moderate, low) were calculated for each fitness measure for boys and girls. Stability of fitness measures was calculated. Boys outperformed girls on fitness measures at most time points. Significantly low to moderately high tracking coefficients for each fitness measure at all time points for boys (r =.21-.79) and girls (r =.23-.89) were found. Tertile ratings remained stable across the 4 time-points. Findings highlight the importance of developing healthy fitness behaviors early in life and the significance of intervention during adolescence in low-fit youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found that insecure attachment is associated with depression. In the present study, we use an accelerated longitudinal cohort design to examine how the association between attachment and depression develops during childhood and adolescence. Specifically, 690 children from 3 distinct cohorts (grades 3, 6, and 9) completed self-report measures of attachment and depressive symptoms 3 times over 3 years. Growth curve analyses indicated that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were uniquely related to depressive symptoms. Higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms over time. Additionally, changes in attachment security were associated with changes in depressive symptoms. The analyses suggest that insecure attachment and depressive symptoms co-vary and that these dynamics are evident in childhood and adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our knowledge about the developmental change of neuropsychological functioning in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is limited. This prospective longitudinal study examined the changes in neuropsychological functions and their associations with the changes of ADHD symptoms across the developmental stages from early adolescence to young adulthood. Methods: We followed up 53 individuals diagnosed with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) ADHD during childhood (mean age 12.77 years at time 1, 19.81 years at time 2) and 50 non-ADHD controls (mean age 12.80 years at time 1, 19.36 years at time 2) with repeated psychiatric interviews at two time points to confirm ADHD and other psychiatric diagnoses. Neuropsychological functions with high- and low-executive demands, measured by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB) at two time points, were compared. Results: Both groups showed improvements in all neuropsychological tasks except reaction time in the ADHD group. Despite having a greater improvement in spatial working memory (SWM) than controls, individuals with ADHD still performed worse in various neuropsychological tasks than controls at follow-up. Better baseline intra-dimension/extra-dimension shift and parental occupation predicted fewer ADHD symptoms at follow-up independent of baseline ADHD symptoms. The degree of ADHD symptom reduction was not significantly linearly correlated to the magnitude of neuropsychological function improvement. Conclusion: Individuals with ADHD and controls had parallel developments in neuropsychological functioning, except a catch-up in SWM in ADHD. Almost all neuropsychological functions herein were still impaired in ADHD at late adolescence/young adulthood. There may be a threshold (i.e. non-linear) relationship between neuropsychological functioning and ADHD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) can significantly impair psychosocial development of children and adolescents and are therefore of considerable interest in health sciences and public health surveillance. Questions addressed the type of function that describes individual trajectories best, potential differences between these, and corresponding predictors from the perspective of both children and their parents. Based on the German population-based and representative BELLA cohort sample, 2,857 children and adolescents between 7 and 17 years of age at baseline were analysed over a period of 3 years with yearly follow-ups using mixed growth curve analyses. PHC were measured in accordance with the health behaviour in school-aged children-symptom checklist. The mean level of PHC was rather low, slightly lower for the parent report than for the self-report and significantly different between subjects. Concerning the parent report, the 2-year course is best described by a slowly increasing linear trend that decelerates somewhat over time. The increasing linear trend was more pronounced in the self-report from 11 to 17 years of age, but was significantly different for each subject and correlated with baseline scores. Trajectories could be explained by known predictors, most importantly by mental health problems of the child or adolescent. The results confirm the findings of previous studies and provide representative data about the individual short-term development of PHC in children and adolescents in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]