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Main Authors: Meredith X. Han, Ivan Voronin, Margherita Malanchini, Tom A. McAdams
Format: Artículo Open Access
Published: Wiley 2025
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Online Access:https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.70008
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author Meredith X. Han
Ivan Voronin
Margherita Malanchini
Tom A. McAdams
author_facet Meredith X. Han
Ivan Voronin
Margherita Malanchini
Tom A. McAdams
Meredith X. Han
Ivan Voronin
Margherita Malanchini
Tom A. McAdams
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Examining the association between cognitive ability and emotional problems across childhood using a genetically informative design: could there be a causal relationship? Meredith X. Han Ivan Voronin Margherita Malanchini Tom A. McAdams Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Background Emotional problems co‐occur with difficulties in verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability, yet the pathways underlying their association remain poorly understood: It is unclear whether effects may be causal, and to what extent they may run from cognition to emotion, or vice versa. Methods Our preregistered analyses included 5,124 twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). At ages 7, 9 and 12, emotional problems were assessed through the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, and cognition was assessed using task‐based measures. Cross‐lagged models examined the influence of cognition and subdomains of verbal and nonverbal abilities on emotional problems and vice versa, across development. Genetic cross‐lagged models examined the effect of cognition on emotional problems and vice versa, after controlling for shared genetic and environmental influence. Results Cross‐lagged paths in both directions were observed between cognitive ability and emotional problems (from −0.11 to −0.05). Cross‐lagged associations that persisted after accounting for common genetic and environmental influences were between nonverbal ability and emotional problems. Higher emotional problems at age 7 predicted lower nonverbal ability at age 9, with 22% of the phenotypic association remaining. This, in turn, predicted greater emotional problems at age 12, with 13% of the association remaining. Conclusions Genetic and environmental factors accounted for a large proportion of the cross‐lagged associations. Emotional problems in early childhood could result in a cascade effect, leading to lower nonverbal cognition in middle childhood, which increases the risk of emotional problems in late childhood. These findings highlight the importance of age‐ and domain‐specific interventions. 10.1111/jcpp.70008 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
doi_str_mv 10.1111/jcpp.70008
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license_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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spellingShingle Examining the association between cognitive ability and emotional problems across childhood using a genetically informative design: could there be a causal relationship?
Meredith X. Han
Ivan Voronin
Margherita Malanchini
Tom A. McAdams
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Examining the association between cognitive ability and emotional problems across childhood using a genetically informative design: could there be a causal relationship? Meredith X. Han Ivan Voronin Margherita Malanchini Tom A. McAdams Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Background Emotional problems co‐occur with difficulties in verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability, yet the pathways underlying their association remain poorly understood: It is unclear whether effects may be causal, and to what extent they may run from cognition to emotion, or vice versa. Methods Our preregistered analyses included 5,124 twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). At ages 7, 9 and 12, emotional problems were assessed through the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, and cognition was assessed using task‐based measures. Cross‐lagged models examined the influence of cognition and subdomains of verbal and nonverbal abilities on emotional problems and vice versa, across development. Genetic cross‐lagged models examined the effect of cognition on emotional problems and vice versa, after controlling for shared genetic and environmental influence. Results Cross‐lagged paths in both directions were observed between cognitive ability and emotional problems (from −0.11 to −0.05). Cross‐lagged associations that persisted after accounting for common genetic and environmental influences were between nonverbal ability and emotional problems. Higher emotional problems at age 7 predicted lower nonverbal ability at age 9, with 22% of the phenotypic association remaining. This, in turn, predicted greater emotional problems at age 12, with 13% of the association remaining. Conclusions Genetic and environmental factors accounted for a large proportion of the cross‐lagged associations. Emotional problems in early childhood could result in a cascade effect, leading to lower nonverbal cognition in middle childhood, which increases the risk of emotional problems in late childhood. These findings highlight the importance of age‐ and domain‐specific interventions. 10.1111/jcpp.70008 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Examining the association between cognitive ability and emotional problems across childhood using a genetically informative design: could there be a causal relationship?
topic Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
url https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.70008