| Title: |
Longitudinal Associations between Youth Prosocial Behavior and Dimensions of Psychopathology |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Gabrielle E. Reimann; Benjamin B. Lahey (ORCID 0000-0002-0385-9676); Hee Jung Jeong; E. Leighton Durham; Camille Archer; Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez; Marc G. Berman; Tyler M. Moore; Brooks Applegate; Antonia N. Kaczkurkin (ORCID 0000-0002-0943-3094) |
| Source: |
JCPP Advances. 2025 5(2). |
| Availability: |
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
11 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH); National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP); National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS) |
| Contract Number: |
R00MH117274; R01MH098098 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: |
Prosocial Behavior; Mental Health; Predictor Variables; Psychopathology; Behavior Problems; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Preadolescents; Correlation; Child Behavior; Longitudinal Studies; Symptoms (Individual Disorders) |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: |
Child Behavior Checklist; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire |
| DOI: |
10.1002/jcv2.12282 |
| ISSN: |
2692-9384 |
| Abstract: |
Background: Studies suggest that prosocial behavior, having high empathy and engaging in behaviors intended to benefit others, may predict mental health or vice versa; however, these findings have been mixed. The purpose of the current study was to examine the bidirectional relationships between prosocial behavior and dimensions of psychopathology in children. Methods: The relationships between prosocial behavior and four dimensions of psychopathology (general psychopathology, internalizing symptoms, conduct problems, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms) were examined longitudinally in children 9-12 years of age from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 9122). We used a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to distinguish between stable, trait-like (between-person) and time-dependent (within-person) fluctuations across a 24-month period. Results: Between-person results revealed that prosocial behavior was negatively associated with general psychopathology and conduct problems while being positively associated with internalizing symptoms. Within-person results demonstrated that, out of four possible directional paths tested, one was significant. This path showed that greater general psychopathology and conduct problems at the first-year follow-up predicted fewer prosocial behaviors at the second-year follow-up, although the effect size was small. In contrast, prosocial behavior did not predict psychopathology dimensions for any year. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that prosocial behaviors have stable associations with psychopathology across preadolescence; however, evidence of a directional association in which psychopathology predicts fewer prosocial behaviors in the future was only modest. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2025 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1473740 |
| Database: |
ERIC |