Affective Dynamics Across Internalizing and Externalizing Dimensions of Psychopathology

• NCJ Number: 255868
• Journal: Clinical Psychological Science Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: 2020 Pages: 412-427
• Author(s): Lori N. Scott; Sarah E. Victor; Erin A. Kaufman; Joseph E. Beeney; Amy L Byrd; Vera Vine; Paul A. Pilkonis; Stephanie D. Stepp
• Date Published: 2020
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-JF-FX-0058
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Since little is known about pathogenic affective processes that cut across diverse mental disorders, the current study examined how dynamic features of positive and negative affect differ or converge across internalizing and externalizing disorders in a diagnostically diverse urban sample, using bivariate dynamic structural equation modeling.

Abstract

A total of 156 young women completed semi-structured clinical interviews and a 21-day ecological momentary assessment protocol with seven assessments of affective states per day. Internalizing and externalizing dimensions of psychopathology were modeled using confirmatory factor analysis of mental disorders. After controlling for externalizing disorders, internalizing disorders were associated with higher negative affective mean intensity, higher negative affective variability (i.e., unique innovation variance), and lower positive affective variability. Conversely, externalizing disorders were associated with less persistent positive affect (i.e., lower inertia) and more variable positive emotionality. Results suggest internalizing and externalizing disorders have distinct affective dynamic signatures, which have implications for development of tailored interventions. (publisher abstract modified)