Children at risk: Predictors and consequences of comorbid aggressive-withdrawn problem profiles in early grade school.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The goal of this study is to examine the development of children who show aggressive-withdrawn behavior problem profiles at school entry. Participants in this study consisted of 754 children selected from 135 classrooms. Children in first grade were identified on four different behavior problem profiles: aggressive (N = 165), withdrawn (N = 94), aggressive-withdrawn (N = 63), and non-problem (N = 432). These groups were compared on kindergarten measures of social cognitive, social, and cognitive skills. It was predicted that children who exhibit aggressive-withdrawn behavior profiles, at school entry, can be characterized by social skills deficits and cognitive skills deficits that existed prior to school entry. Children in the aggressive-withdrawn behavior problem group were found to exhibit more significant skills deficits in the areas of social cognitive and cognitive skills. In addition these deficits were found to occur when controlling for first grade internalizing and externalizing problems. It was also hypothesized that children identified as aggressive-withdrawn in first grade would be more likely to experience later failure experiences and depressed mood in third grade. The children in the aggressive-withdrawn groups were found to experience significantly more failure experiences (i.e., academic failure and peer rejection) and depressive symptomatology in third grade. Kindergarten skill deficits, aggressive and withdrawn behavior problems, and failure experience were all found to contribute significantly to the development of future depressive symptomatology. The results of this study support an additive model of depression in which early skills deficits (e.g., cognitive, social cognitive, and social), behavior problems (e.g., aggression and withdrawal), and failure experiences (poor academic performance and peer rejection) all contribute to the development of depressive symptomatology.