Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Heritability of children's Secure Base Script Knowledge in middle childhood: a twin study with the Attachment Script Assessment","authors":"Jana Runze, Annemieke M. Witte, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14089","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundAre individual differences in attachment security inborn or shaped by the social environment? In infancy and early childhood, the evidence points to a substantial role of the environment, but a large twin study in early adolescence showed considerable heritability. Here we examined the twin heritability of attachment in middle childhood. We hypothesized that in middle childhood some heritability would emerge. Furthermore, we expected a role for cognitive and language abilities in explaining variance in attachment in middle childhood, partly related to the measurement of attachment, and we therefore examined associations with IQ.MethodsThis pre‐registered study included 415 same‐sex twin pairs (52% girls, 58% monozygotic) between 8 and 11 years old (<jats:italic>M</jats:italic> = 9.59, <jats:italic>SD</jats:italic> = 0.79). Participants were recruited from an experimental cohort‐sequential study including two age‐overlapping longitudinal cohorts. Secure Base Script Knowledge was assessed with the Middle Childhood Attachment Script Assessment . Zygosity of the twins was determined using DNA samples. In the younger cohort, cognitive development was assessed with the Dutch version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence . In the older cohort, the Dutch version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children was used .ResultsSignificant additive heritability (38%) was found in the absence of a common environment component. This result diverges from findings in infancy and early childhood and aligns with the results in early adolescence.ConclusionsThe gene–environment correlation hypothesis suggesting that older children more actively shape their experiences in social contexts may offer a plausible explanation for the heritability of attachment in middle childhood. In middle childhood this mechanism might tip the balance toward a larger role for additive genetics. Larger longitudinal twin studies are needed to replicate the heritability of attachment after preschool age.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"144 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142840758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: From adolescence into young adulthood – the importance of a longitudinal perspective across development in child and adolescent mental health","authors":"Julian Koenig,&nbsp;Luis C. Farhat,&nbsp;Michael H. Bloch","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14094","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.14094","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The transition from adolescence into adulthood is a pivotal phase in a person's life, marking a period of significant social, psychological, and biological changes that can profoundly impact an individual's well-being and developmental trajectory. During this period, adolescents and young adults face increasing environmental demands from academic or occupational responsibilities and social interactions, including the pursuit of romantic partners. These changes are inherently related to stress, which is essential for adolescents and young adults to develop their personality and form an identity. Throughout adolescence into young adulthood, the brain undergoes maturational changes as part of the normal development, and it is possible that deviations from the expected developmental trajectories may contribute to the onset of psychiatric disorders in this age group. This editorial highlights recent work published in the <i>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</i> that examines important aspects of this developmental period.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"66 1","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.14094","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142840964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of preschool attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis: a population‐based study using national registers","authors":"Wagner Gurgel, Miguel Garcia‐Argibay, Brian M. D'Onofrio, Henrik Larsson, Guilherme V. Polanczyk","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14093","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundThe diagnosis of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool years (before age 6 years) is a marker of severity and poor prognosis. This study investigated a broad range of predictors of ADHD diagnosis during preschool age.MethodsPopulation‐based cohort study using Swedish registers. The final sample consisted of all children born in Sweden between 2001 and 2007 who could be linked to both of their biological parents, excluding those who died or emigrated (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 631,695). Follow‐up was completed December 31, 2013. Cox proportional‐hazards models for survival analysis were used to identify the predictors that increased the risk of receiving a clinical diagnosis of ADHD from 3 to 5 years. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were presented for each of the 41 selected predictors covering early‐onset psychiatric comorbidities, nonpsychiatric medical conditions, parental history and perinatal factors.ResultsAt the end of follow‐up, 1,686 preschoolers (2.7% of the whole sample) had received a diagnosis of ADHD. We found that 39 out of 41 predictors were associated with increased risk of a later diagnosis of preschool ADHD. Novel associations with preschool ADHD diagnosis were found for gastroesophageal reflux disease (HR = 3.48), premature contractions during pregnancy (HR = 2.03), and criminal conviction history from any parent (HR = 2.14).ConclusionsA large number of novel and well‐established predictors of preschool ADHD diagnosis were identified. This broad set of early predictors may direct future clinical research and assist in early identification of preschool ADHD.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142825544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Initiation and stability of self-harm in adolescence and early adulthood: investigating social and aetiological factors in twins.","authors":"Filip Marzecki, Yasmin I Ahmadzadeh, Olakunle A Oginni, Jean-Baptiste Pingault, Thomas A McAdams, Helena M S Zavos","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Almost one in five (18.8%) UK adolescents are estimated to self-harm and many young people initiate self-harm early (average age 13 years). Prevention of self-harm should be informed by knowledge about risk factors (e.g. socio-demographic indices), characteristics (i.e. motivation for self-harm and help-seeking behaviours), as well as relative aetiological genetic and environmental processes. Previous twin studies evidence both genetic and environmental influences on self-harm. However, to date, there has been no genetically informed research on self-harm aetiology across development, nor studies identifying risk factors for initiating self-harm at a younger age.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We examined self-harm in the Twins Early Development Study, a birth cohort twin study. Using clustered regression models, we tested associations of socio-demographic factors and victimisation with lifetime self-harm and age of self-harm initiation, both reported at 21. To investigate stability and/or change in genetic and environmental influences on self-harm we interpreted a multivariate Cholesky decomposition across ages ≤16, 21, and 26.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Self-harm was more common in adolescence than early adulthood, and the incidence of self-harm in early adulthood was low (1.4%). The most common motivation for self-harm was 'to get relief from a terrible state of mind' (83.4%). Independent predictors of self-harm and earlier initiation of self-harm were being female, belonging to a gender and/or sexual minority group, and experience of bullying victimisation. Sexual minority status was still significantly associated with self-harm after controlling for familial factors in co-twin control analyses. The Cholesky decomposition showed stability in genetic influences and innovation in non-shared environmental influences on self-harm.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adolescence should be a key period for self-harm interventions. Women, sexual, and gender minorities, and those experiencing victimisation may need targeted support early in adolescence. Furthermore, it should be acknowledged that different individuals can be at risk at different stages as environmental factors influencing self-harm change across time.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142816680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood adversity is associated with reduced threat-safety discrimination and increased fear generalization in 12- to 16-year-olds.","authors":"Celine Samaey, Aleksandra Lecei, Maarten Jackers, Lise Jennen, Koen Schruers, Bram Vervliet, Bart Boets, Ruud van Winkel","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Childhood adversity poses a major transdiagnostic risk for a host of psychiatric disorders. Altered threat-related information processing has been put forward as a potential process underlying the association between childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders, with previous research providing support for decreased discrimination between threat and safety cues, in both children and adults exposed to adversity. This altered threat-safety discrimination has been hypothesized to stem from increased generalization of fear, yet to date, this hypothesis has not been tested in youth.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we investigate whether childhood adversity is associated with fear generalization during adolescence. 119 adolescents between 12 and 16 years of age (mean = 13.95), of whom 63 exposed to childhood adversity, completed a fear generalization paradigm. Fear conditioning was assessed through trial-by-trial US expectancy ratings and post-experimental ratings of fear, valence and arousal. Additionally, we administered a perceptual discrimination task to assess the potential impact of perceptual discrimination abilities upon fear generalization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In line with our hypotheses, results showed that childhood adversity is associated with (1) reduced threat-safety differentiation during fear acquisition and (2) increased fear generalization in both boys and girls, albeit to a different extent, as boys showed more generalization towards safety cues while girls showed more generalization towards dangerous cues. Moreover, this overgeneralization of fear could not be attributed to group differences in perceptual discrimination.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Altered fear learning may be an important process through which adversity increases risk for the development of psychopathology. Longitudinal research is essential to elucidate risk and resilience patterns following childhood adversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142816697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood maltreatment is associated with lower exploration and disrupted prefrontal activity and connectivity during reward learning in volatile environments.","authors":"Diana J N Armbruster-Genç, Louise Neil, Vincent Valton, Harriet Phillips, Georgia Rankin, Molly Sharp, Jessica Rapley, Essi Viding, Jonathan P Roiser, Eamon McCrory","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Atypical reward processing is implicated in a range of psychiatric disorders associated with childhood maltreatment and may represent a latent vulnerability mechanism. In this longitudinal study, we investigated the impact of maltreatment on behavioural and neural indices of reward learning in volatile environments and examined associations with future psychopathology assessed 18 months later.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty-seven children and adolescents with documented histories of maltreatment (MT group) and a carefully matched group of 32 non-maltreated individuals (NMT group) aged 10-16 were presented with a probabilistic reinforcement learning task featuring a phase of stable and a phase of volatile reward contingencies. Brain activation and connectivity were assessed simultaneously using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Computational models were used to extract individual estimates of learning rates and temperature, and neural signals in prespecified regions of interest were analysed during volatile and stable environments. In regression analyses, behavioural measures and neural signals at baseline were used to predict psychological symptoms at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The MT group showed lower behavioural exploration, which predicted decreased internalising symptoms at follow-up. The MT group had lower activation in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) during outcome delivery in volatile relative to stable contexts. OFC connectivity with an area in the mid-cingulate cortex was also lower during outcome processing, which predicted higher general psychopathology at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings are consistent with the notion that low exploratory behaviour following childhood maltreatment is potentially a protective adaptation against internalising symptoms, while disrupted neural processing of reward learning in volatile environments may index latent vulnerability to mental illness.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142811694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taking theory of mind research into much needed new terrain - a commentary on Kochanska et al. (2025).","authors":"Ross A Thompson","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Contemporary research on developing theory of mind emphasizes its cognitive and neurobiological foundations, but studies of its relational origins have potential for opening new terrain in this expansive literature. The study by Kochanska and colleagues shows this in several ways. First, it offers a model for constructing theoretically guided causal models built on longitudinal research enlisting multiple predictors of developing theory of mind that can be examined in concert. Second, the findings invite deeper consideration of the processes by which theory of mind emerges by unpacking the relational predictors highlighted in this and other studies. In particular, examining the characteristics of early conversation focused on the child's experiences and mental states and studying the coordination of subjective states in parent-child interaction are each warranted avenues. Third, enlisting fathers and mothers into this inquiry broadens the range of relational partners contributing to young children's developing understanding of the mind.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142805755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social connection and its prospective association with adolescent internalising and externalising symptoms: an exploratory cross‐country study using retrospective harmonisation","authors":"Bettina Moltrecht, João Villanova do Amaral, Giovanni Abrahão Salum, Euripedes Constantino Miguel, Luis Augusto Rohde, George B. Ploubidis, Eoin McElroy, Mauricio Scopel Hoffmann","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14080","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundSocial connection factors play a key role for young people's mental health. It is important to understand how their influence may vary across contexts. We investigated structural (e.g. household size), functional (e.g. social support) and quality (e.g. feeling close) social connection factors in relation to adolescent internalising and externalising symptoms, comparing two countries Brazil and the United Kingdom (UK).MethodsWe pooled data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) and the Brazilian High Risk Cohort Study (BHRCS). We included 12 social connection variables, identified through retrospective harmonisation and lived experience expert involvement. We tested measurement invariance and conducted multiple regressions to analyse associations between the social connection factors (age 14) and later internalising and externalising difficulties (age 17.5) in both cohorts. We investigated country‐level interactions and used weights to account for attrition, survey design, population representativeness and sample size.ResultsWe found pooled main associations with later internalising symptoms for ‘living with half‐siblings’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001), ‘moving address’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .001), ‘mother marital status’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001–.003), ‘bullying’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .001), ‘being bullied’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001) and ‘difficulties keeping friends’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001). For externalising, we found main associations with ‘household size’ (<jats:italic>p =</jats:italic> .041), ‘moving address’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .041), ‘mother's marital status’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .001–.013), ‘bullying others’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001) and ‘being bullied’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001). Country‐level interactions suggested higher internalising symptoms were associated with ‘household size’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .001) in Brazil and ‘being bullied’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001) in MCS. Additionally, ‘half‐siblings in household’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .003), ‘poor mother–child relationship’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .018), ‘single mother’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .035), ‘bullying’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001) and ‘being bullied’ (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; .001) were more strongly linked to externalising difficulties in MCS.ConclusionsSocial connection factors, mostly structural, contributed to adolescent internalising and externalising difficulties in both countries. Factors relating to bullying and family composition seem to play a stronger role in each country. Cultural and socioeconomic factors might explain these differences. Future research should investigate cross‐regional differences to meaningfully inform global mental health efforts.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142789825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring mechanisms behind the increasing gender gap in adolescent psychological symptoms, 2002–2022: the role of national‐level gender equality","authors":"Margreet E. de Looze, Alina Cosma, Frank J. Elgar, Karen Schrijvers, Jo Inchley, Sophie D. Walsh, Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14081","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundInternalising problems have increased considerably among adolescents in the last decades, particularly among girls, resulting in widening gender gaps. This study examined whether the gender gap in psychological symptoms increased more in more gender‐equal countries in the period 2002–2022, and if so, to what extent this could be explained by changes over time in the experience of stressors (i.e. schoolwork pressure, body dissatisfaction, low classmate support) among boys and girls in these countries.MethodsNational data on gender inequality (UNDP Gender Inequality Index) were combined with aggregated individual‐level data from the Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children (HBSC) study (2002–2022) across 43 countries (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 1,268,220). Absolute and relative gender gaps in psychological symptoms were regressed on survey cycle, GII and their interaction. Next, interactions of survey cycle and either schoolwork pressure, body dissatisfaction or classmate support were added to the model.ResultsIncreases in the absolute and relative gender gap in psychological symptoms between 2002 and 2022 were stronger in more gender‐equal countries, mainly due to larger increases in psychological symptoms among girls in these countries. Also, less favourable time trends for schoolwork pressure and classmate support were found in more gender‐equal countries for boys and especially girls. The larger increase in schoolwork pressure among girls in more gender‐equal countries partly explained the increased absolute gender gap in psychological symptoms in these countries.ConclusionsWhile national‐level gender equality was positively associated with boys' and girls' mental health in the early 2000s, this association has become negative for girls in more recent years. The benefits of gender equality for girls' mental health may have become overshadowed by the increased experience of stressors, especially schoolwork pressure. Far from advocating that gender equality is a negative situation, these findings suggest that much work remains to achieve full gender equality, where men and women really share the burdens and stressors in everyday life.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142788540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of childhood lead exposure to psychopathology in the US population over the past 75 years.","authors":"Michael J McFarland, Aaron Reuben, Matt Hauer","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>More than half of the current US population was exposed to adverse lead levels in childhood as a result of lead's past use in gasoline. The total contribution of childhood lead exposures to US-population mental health and personality has yet to be evaluated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We combined serial, cross-sectional blood-lead level (BLL) data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) with historic leaded-gasoline data to estimate US childhood BLLs from 1940 to 2015 and calculate population mental-health symptom elevations from known lead-psychopathology associations. We utilized five outcomes: (1) General Psychopathology \"points\", reflecting an individual's liability to overall mental disorder, scaled to match IQ scores (M = 100, SD = 15); (2) Symptoms of Internalizing disorders (anxiety and depression) and Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), both z-scored (M = 0, SD = 1); and (3) Differences in the personality traits of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness (M = 0, SD = 1).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Assuming that published lead-psychopathology associations are causal and not purely correlational: We estimate that by 2015, the US population had gained 602-million General Psychopathology factor points because of exposure arising from leaded gasoline, reflecting a 0.13-standard-deviation increase in overall liability to mental illness in the population and an estimated 151 million excess mental disorders attributable to lead exposure. Investigation of specific disorder-domain symptoms identified a 0.64-standard-deviation increase in population-level Internalizing symptoms and a 0.42-standard-deviation increase in AD/HD symptoms. Population-level Neuroticism increased by 0.14 standard deviations and Conscientiousness decreased by 0.20 standard deviations. Lead-associated mental health and personality differences were most pronounced for cohorts born from 1966 through 1986 (Generation X).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A significant burden of mental illness symptomatology and disadvantageous personality differences can be attributed to US children's exposure to lead over the past 75 years. Lead's potential contribution to psychiatry, medicine, and children's health may be larger than previously assumed.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142764895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}