The Convergence of Effortful Control and Self-Perception on the General Factor of Psychopathology during the Developmental Phase of Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

The General factor of psychopathology (p-factor) represents a unified dimension that reflects the underlying risk for various psychological disorders. It is hypothesised to be influenced by individual traits such as effortful control and self-perception. Therefore, this study explores the developmental trajectories of childhood and adolescence, focusing on how effortful control and self-perception interact with the General factor of psychopathology. To examine this, this research employed a subset of data from the YOUth panel (N = 906), which tracks behavioural and neurocognitive development in Dutch children and adolescence. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, and regression analysis were utilised to examine the predictive factors of the p-factor in a cohort of children aged 8 to 15 years. Results suggest that both effortful control and positive self-perception inversely relate to the p-factor, highlighting their potential as protective factors against psychopathological development. Additionally, self-perception is shown to moderate the effect of effortful control on the p-factor. Emotional stability, treated as a control variable, consistently shows a negative association with the p-factor, implying that higher emotional stability is linked to lower psychopathology risk. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of adolescent psychopathology, underlining the protective influence of effortful control and self-perception against psychopathological symptoms. By revealing more complex relationships between personal traits and mental health outcomes, the study offers insights that can guide therapeutic interventions and future research, emphasising the potential of enhancing effortful control and self-perception in mitigating psychopathological risk during adolescence.