Exploring Transdiagnostic Mechanisms of Externalizing Psychopathology among Youths: A Longitudinal, Person-Centered Approach

Abstract

In the present study, we used an exploratory data-analysis approach to consider how executive functioning (EF) relates to the developmental course of externalizing psychopathology using the Oregon ADHD-1000 data set. Multinomial logistic regressions of EF domains (working memory, processing speed, set shifting, reaction-time variability, response inhibition, and vigilance) in predicting symptomatic classes and longitudinal pathways from a recent latent transition analysis were conducted; predicted probability figures were interpreted. Findings suggest that hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) was most related to EF impairment in many domains. Inattention contributed to set-shifting and processing-speed impairment specifically. HI and oppositionality were very aligned with one another in childhood and diverged in adolescence. Youths who were HI in childhood and inattentive in adolescence were distinct in EF impairment from youths who were inattentive across development. Findings reiterate the importance of exploratory, person-centered, longitudinal approaches for understanding heterogeneity, comorbidity, and developmental psychopathology.