Clinical Science Brown Bag: Developmental Cascade Models Linking Contextual Risks, Parenting, and Internalizing Symptoms: A 17-year Longitudinal Study from Early Childhood to Emerging Adulthood

Abstract:
Internalizing problems, such as depression and anxiety, are the most common forms of psychological distress among adolescents and young adults. Although internalizing symptoms have a rapid spike in adolescence, they have precursors in multiple risk domains established during childhood and early adolescence. Therefore, exploring childhood pathways to depression and anxiety in early adulthood is an important research issue that has strong implications for prevention. In the current prospective longitudinal study, I examined cascading pathways leading to depression and anxiety symptoms from early childhood to emerging adulthood. Using an ecological-transactional framework, I focused on mediation pathways across different risk domains, including environmental adversities that affected the entire family, parenting quality, and child and adolescent internalizing symptoms. Findings suggest a nuanced picture of developmental pathways leading to depression and anxiety and provide hints for early identification and prevention. Theoretical background, findings, and implications of the results will be discussed.