Early language skills and later internalizing and externalizing behaviours: associations through core and pragmatic language.

IF 4.9 3区医学 Q1 PEDIATRICS

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health Pub Date : 2026-06-12 DOI:10.1186/s13034-026-01113-5

Anna-Elisabeth Baumann, Lorraine D Reggin, Karolina Wieczorek, Suzanne Tough, Susan A Graham

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Language skills have been associated with both internalizing (anxiety, depression, somatization) and externalizing (conduct problems, hyperactivity, aggression) behaviours. Studies investigating these links have primarily focused on core language skills, such as expressive and receptive language, with less attention to pragmatic language, the social use of language in everyday interactions. The present study examined associations between early expressive vocabulary and later internalizing and externalizing symptoms through both core and pragmatic language skills.

Methods: Using data from a large, prospective Canadian cohort study, structural equation models tested longitudinal associations between expressive vocabulary skills at age 2, core and pragmatic language at age 5, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 8.

Results: Results indicated significant indirect associations between early expressive vocabulary and later internalizing and externalizing symptoms through both core and pragmatic language.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of considering the role of both core and pragmatic language skills when examining associations with later behavioural symptoms.

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早期的语言技能和后来的内化和外化行为：通过核心语言和实用语言的联系。

背景：语言技能与内化（焦虑、抑郁、躯体化）和外化（行为问题、多动、攻击）行为有关。调查这些联系的研究主要集中在核心语言技能上，如表达性语言和接受性语言，很少关注语用性语言，即语言在日常互动中的社会使用。本研究通过核心语言技能和语用技能考察了早期表达性词汇与后来内化和外化症状之间的联系。方法：使用一项大型前瞻性加拿大队列研究的数据，结构方程模型测试了2岁时的表达性词汇技能、5岁时的核心语言和语用语言、8岁时的内化和外化症状之间的纵向关联。结果：结果表明，早期表达性词汇与后来的内化和外化症状通过核心语言和语用语言存在显著的间接关联。结论：这些发现强调了在检查与后来的行为症状的联系时，考虑核心语言技能和实用语言技能的作用的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health PEDIATRICSPSYCHIATRY-PSYCHIATRY

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

3.60%

发文量

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, the official journal of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, is an open access, online journal that provides an international platform for rapid and comprehensive scientific communication on child and adolescent mental health across different cultural backgrounds. CAPMH serves as a scientifically rigorous and broadly open forum for both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange of research information, involving psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, neuroscientists, and allied disciplines. The journal focusses on improving the knowledge base for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of mental health conditions in children and adolescents, and aims to integrate basic science, clinical research and the practical implementation of research findings. In addition, aspects which are still underrepresented in the traditional journals such as neurobiology and neuropsychology of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence are considered.