The Complex Latent Structure of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms: Hierarchical and Bifactor Models of SIPS Symptoms Replicated in Two Large Samples at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: The Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS) and other assessments of psychosis risk define clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) by the presence of attenuated psychotic symptoms. Despite extensive research on attenuated psychotic symptoms, substantial questions remain about their internal psychometric structure and relationships to comorbid non-psychotic symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: Hierarchical and bifactor models were developed for the SIPS in a large CHR sample (NAPLS-3, N = 787) and confirmed through preregistered replication in an independent sample (NAPLS-2, N = 1043). Criterion validity was tested through relationships with CHR status, comorbid symptoms/diagnoses, functional impairment, demographics, neurocognition, and conversion to psychotic disorders. STUDY RESULTS: Most variance in SIPS items (75%-77%) was attributable to a general factor. Hierarchical and bifactor models included a general factor and five specific/lower-order factors (positive symptoms, eccentricity, avolition, lack of emotion, and deteriorated thought process). CHR participants were elevated on the general factor and the positive symptoms factor. The general factor was associated with depressive symptoms; functional impairment; and mood, anxiety, and schizotypal personality diagnoses. The general factor was the best predictor of psychotic disorders (d ≥ 0.50). Positive symptoms and eccentricity had specific effects on conversion outcomes. The deteriorated thought process was least meaningful/replicable. CONCLUSIONS: Attenuated psychotic symptoms, measured by the SIPS, have a complex hierarchical structure with a strong general factor. The general factor relates to internalizing symptoms and functional impairment, emphasizing the roles of general psychopathological distress/impairment in psychosis risk. Shared symptom variance complicates the interpretation of raw symptom scores. Broad transdiagnostic assessment is warranted to model psychosis risk accurately.

The general factor of personality is related to emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

BACKGROUND: The general factor of personality is defined as a blend of socially desirable attributes of basic personality traits. It is related to a variety of socially desirable qualities, including emotional well-being. However, its relationship with psychological and social well-being has been underexplored. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Across three studies (N = 556, N = 448, N = 3,294) from three different countries (Poland, Spain, and USA), we show that the general factor of personality is highly related to a general factor of well-being and to its specific dimensions. RESULTS: Results from Study 1 confirmed this association using a basic measure of well-being (i.e., the Mental Health Continuum), results from Study 2 confirmed this association using six specific measures of well-being, while results from Study 3 reproduced a congruent result using a large-scale community sample. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings align with the existing literature stressing the positive link between the general factor of personality and aspects of well-being.

The underlying structure of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5): a general factor of personality psychopathology.

BACKGROUND: The psychopathology of personality is currently undergoing a paradigm shift from a categorical to a dimensional approach. This work aimed to study the underlying structure of pathological personality traits of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). For this purpose, the internal structure of a version of the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) was examined by a confirmatory factor analysis. This version assesses the five higher-order pathological personality domains (negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism) and the 25 lower-order pathological personality facets through a reduced number of items. Four alternative models were compared: five-factor oblique; second-order (five first-order factors and one second-order factor); bifactor (five specific factors and a general factor), and one-factor. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: We worked with an Argentinean sample of N = 525 subjects from the general population who answered the Argentine version of the PID-5. RESULTS: The five-factor model was slightly superior to the second order model, and the bifactor model presented the best fit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, while preliminary, suggest that the PID-5 facets could reflect five specific pathological personality traits (which correspond to AMPD domains) but also a general factor (which would reflect a general propensity for psychopathology).

The General Factor of Environmental Sensitivity: Relationships with the General Factor of Personality.

Environmental sensitivity is a meta-concept that describes individual differences in susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences and has been repeatedly reported to correlate with other established personality traits, including the Big Five. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the general factor of environmental sensitivity (GFS) and the general factor of personality (GFP). A total of 1,046 adult participants (52% female; Mage = 45.15, SDage = 12.70) completed a self-report psychological questionnaire on an online form. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that GFS had a strong negative correlation with GFP (r = -.41, 95% CI [-.52, -.30], p < .001). Focusing on the relationship with the Big Five, individuals with higher environmental sensitivity were emotionally unstable and introverted. The trait of environmental sensitivity may be described not only in relation to the Big Five but also in relation to GFP, which is assumed to be an indicator of social effectiveness.

Preliminary Validation of a General Factor Model of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions.

Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) by definition, frequently co-occur, perhaps reflecting their shared etiologies. Their overlapping nature presents a methodological challenge, possibly masking associations between COPCs and health outcomes attributable to either general or specific processes. To address this challenge, we used population-based cohort data to evaluate the predictive validity of a bifactor model of 9 self-reported COPCs by assessing its association with incident pain-related clinical diagnoses; pain-relevant pharmacotherapy; and other health outcomes. We obtained data from a 2005 to 2006 study of Swedish adult twins linked with health data from nationwide registers through 2016 (N = 25,418). We then fit a bifactor model comprising a general COPC factor and 2 independent specific factors measuring pain-related somatic symptoms and neck and shoulder pain. Accounting for age, biological sex, and cancer, the general factor was associated with increased risk of all pain-related outcomes (eg, COPC diagnosis adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [1.62, 1.81]), most mental health-related outcomes (eg, depression aOR, 1.72 [1.60, 1.85]), and overdose and mortality (eg, all-cause mortality aOR, 1.25 [1.09, 1.43]). The somatic symptoms specific factor was associated with pain-relevant pharmacotherapy (eg, prescribed opioids aOR, 1.25 [1.15, 1.36]), most mental health-related outcomes (eg, depression aOR, 1.95 [1.70, 2.23]), and overdose (eg, nonfatal overdose aOR, 1.66 [1.31, 2.10]). The neck and shoulder pain-specific factor was weakly and inconsistently associated with the outcomes. Findings provide initial support for the validity and utility of a general-factor model of COPCs as a tool to strengthen understanding of co-occurrence, etiology, and consequences of chronic pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents associations between a novel measurement model of COPCs and various health outcomes. Findings provide support for measuring pain across multiple domains rather than only measuring pain specific to one physical location in both research and clinical contexts.

Mapping potential pathways from polygenic liability through brain structure to psychological problems across the transition to adolescence.

BACKGROUND: We used a polygenic score for externalizing behavior (extPGS) and structural MRI to examine potential pathways from genetic liability to conduct problems via the brain across the adolescent transition. METHODS: Three annual assessments of child conduct problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems, and internalizing problems were conducted across across 9-13 years of age among 4,475 children of European ancestry in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®). RESULTS: The extPGS predicted conduct problems in each wave (R2 = 2.0%-2.9%). Bifactor models revealed that the extPRS predicted variance specific to conduct problems (R2 = 1.7%-2.1%), but also variance that conduct problems shared with other measured problems (R2 = .8%-1.4%). Longitudinally, extPGS predicted levels of specific conduct problems (R2 = 2.0%), but not their slope of change across age. The extPGS was associated with total gray matter volume (TGMV; R2 = .4%) and lower TGMV predicted both specific conduct problems (R2 = 1.7%-2.1%) and the variance common to all problems in each wave (R2 = 1.6%-3.1%). A modest proportion of the polygenic liability specific to conduct problems in each wave was statistically mediated by TGMV. CONCLUSIONS: Across the adolescent transition, the extPGS predicted both variance specific to conduct problems and variance shared by all measured problems. The extPGS also was associated with TGMV, which robustly predicted conduct problems. Statistical mediation analyses suggested the hypothesis that polygenic variation influences individual differences in brain development that are related to the likelihood of conduct problems during the adolescent transition, justifying new research to test this causal hypothesis.

General v. specific vulnerabilities: polygenic risk scores and higher-order psychopathology dimensions in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

BACKGROUND: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) capture genetic vulnerability to psychiatric conditions. However, PRSs are often associated with multiple mental health problems in children, complicating their use in research and clinical practice. The current study is the first to systematically test which PRSs associate broadly with all forms of childhood psychopathology, and which PRSs are more specific to one or a handful of forms of psychopathology. METHODS: The sample consisted of 4717 unrelated children (mean age = 9.92, s.d. = 0.62; 47.1% female; all European ancestry). Psychopathology was conceptualized hierarchically as empirically derived general factor (p-factor) and five specific factors: externalizing, internalizing, neurodevelopmental, somatoform, and detachment. Partial correlations explored associations between psychopathology factors and 22 psychopathology-related PRSs. Regressions tested which level of the psychopathology hierarchy was most strongly associated with each PRS. RESULTS: Thirteen PRSs were significantly associated with the general factor, most prominently Chronic Multisite Pain-PRS (r = 0.098), ADHD-PRS (r = 0.079), and Depression-PRS (r = 0.078). After adjusting for the general factor, Depression-PRS, Neuroticism-PRS, PTSD-PRS, Insomnia-PRS, Chronic Back Pain-PRS, and Autism-PRS were not associated with lower order factors. Conversely, several externalizing PRSs, including Adventurousness-PRS and Disinhibition-PRS, remained associated with the externalizing factor (|r| = 0.040-0.058). The ADHD-PRS remained uniquely associated with the neurodevelopmental factor (r = 062). CONCLUSIONS: PRSs developed to predict vulnerability to emotional difficulties and chronic pain generally captured genetic risk for all forms of childhood psychopathology. PRSs developed to predict vulnerability to externalizing difficulties, e.g. disinhibition, tended to be more specific in predicting behavioral problems. The results may inform translation of existing PRSs to pediatric research and future clinical practice.

Does preschool executive control mediate the impact of early environmental unpredictability and deprivation on the general factor of psychopathology a decade later?

BACKGROUND: Although deprivation has been consistently shown to increase risk for psychopathology through impaired executive control, the unique effects of other dimensions of early adversity, such as unpredictability, on executive control development are poorly understood. The current study evaluated whether deprivation and/or unpredictability early in life have unique effects on the general factor of psychopathology through impaired preschool executive control. METHODS: Participants included 312 children (51% female) oversampled for greater sociodemographic risk. Preschool executive control was measured using a battery of nine developmentally appropriate executive control tasks. Dimensions of adversity were measured with observational and caregiver assessments, and psychopathology was measured with caregiver and child reports. RESULTS: In separate models, both deprivation and unpredictability had significant indirect effects on the adolescent general factor of psychopathology through impaired preschool executive control. However, when both dimensions of adversity were included simultaneously, early life deprivation, but not unpredictability, was uniquely associated with the general factor of psychopathology in adolescence through impaired preschool executive control. CONCLUSIONS: Preschool executive control appears to be a transdiagnostic mechanism through which deprivation, but not unpredictability, increases risk for the general factor of psychopathology in adolescence. Results elucidate potential transdiagnostic targets for intervention efforts aimed at reducing the development and maintenance of psychopathology across the life span.

The General Factor of Personality (GFP) is associated with higher salary, having a leadership position, and working in a social job.

Previous studies have suggested that a general factor exists at the top of the hierarchal structure of personality. One interpretation of this General Factor of Personality (GFP) is that it reflects social effectiveness. Accordingly, in a large employee sample (N = 1267), we tested whether the GFP relates to several outcomes assumed to be linked with social effectiveness. Specifically, we examine whether the GFP is positively related to salary and to obtaining a leadership position. Additionally, we test whether high-GFP employees more often work in social occupations. Controlling for demographics and background variables, it was found that the GFP is indeed positively related to monthly (gross) salary. Moreover, employees occupying leadership positions in organizations scored higher on the GFP. GFP scores of employees in more social occupations (e.g., education, health care) were higher than of employees in other types of jobs (e.g., construction). GFP scores were also positively associated with the extent to which one has to relate to others in the job. Overall, the pattern of findings is in line with the notion of the GFP as relating to social effectiveness or adaptiveness, which are assumed to play a significant role in occupational outcomes.

Chronic pain conditions and risk of suicidal behavior: a 10-year longitudinal co-twin control study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the relationship between chronic pain conditions and suicidal behavior-suicide attempt, other intentional self-harm, and death by suicide-is imperative for suicide prevention efforts. Although chronic pain conditions are associated with suicidal behaviors, these associations might be attributed to unmeasured confounding or mediated via pain comorbidity. METHODS: We linked a population-based Swedish twin study (N=17,148 twins) with 10 years of longitudinal, nationwide records of suicidal behavior from health and mortality registers through 2016. To investigate whether pain comorbidity versus specific pain conditions were more important for later suicidal behavior, we modeled a general factor of pain and two independent specific pain factors (measuring pain-related somatic symptoms and neck-shoulder pain, respectively) based on 9 self-reported chronic pain conditions. To examine whether the pain-suicidal behavior associations were attributable to familial confounding, we applied a co-twin control model. RESULTS: Individuals scoring one standard deviation above the mean on the general pain factor had a 51% higher risk of experiencing suicidal behavior (odds ratio (OR), 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.34-1.72). The specific factor of somatic pain was also associated with increased risk for suicidal behavior (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.45-2.22]). However, after adjustment for familial confounding, the associations were greatly attenuated and not statistically significant within monozygotic twin pairs (general pain factor OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.59-1.33; somatic pain factor OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.49-2.11) CONCLUSION: Clinicians might benefit from measuring not only specific types of pain, but also pain comorbidity; however, treating pain might not necessarily reduce future suicidal behavior, as the associations appeared attributable to familial confounding.

Defining the p-factor: an empirical test of five leading theories.

BACKGROUND: Despite statistical evidence of a general factor of psychopathology (i.e., p-factor), there is little agreement about what the p-factor represents. Researchers have proposed five theories: dispositional negative emotionality (neuroticism), impulsive responsivity to emotions (impulsivity), thought dysfunction, low cognitive functioning, and impairment. These theories have primarily been inferred from patterns of loadings of diagnoses on p-factors with different sets of diagnoses included in different studies. Researchers who have directly examined these theories of p have examined a subset of the theories in any single sample, limiting the ability to compare the size of their associations with a p-factor. METHODS: In a sample of adults (N = 1833, Mage = 34.20, 54.4% female, 53.3% white) who completed diagnostic assessments, self-report measures, and cognitive tests, we evaluated statistical p-factor structures across modeling approaches and compared the strength of associations among the p-factor and indicators of each of these five theories. RESULTS: We found consistent evidence of the p-factor's unidimensionality across one-factor and bifactor models. The p-factor was most strongly and similarly associated with neuroticism (r = .88), impairment (r = .88), and impulsivity (r = .87), χ2(1)s < .15, ps > .70, and less strongly associated with thought dysfunction (r = .78), χ2(1)s > 3.92, ps < .05, and cognitive functioning (r = -.25), χ2(1)s > 189.56, ps < .01. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss a tripartite definition of p that involves the transaction of impulsive responses to frequent negative emotions leading to impairment that extends and synthesizes previous theories of psychopathology.

On the Meaning of the "P Factor" in Symmetrical Bifactor Models of Psychopathology: Recommendations for Future Research From the Bifactor-(S-1) Perspective.

Symmetrical bifactor models are frequently applied to diverse symptoms of psychopathology to identify a general P factor. This factor is assumed to mark shared liability across all psychopathology dimensions and mental disorders. Despite their popularity, however, symmetrical bifactor models of P often yield anomalous results, including but not limited to nonsignificant or negative specific factor variances and nonsignificant or negative factor loadings. To date, these anomalies have often been treated as nuisances to be explained away. In this article, we demonstrate why these anomalies alter the substantive meaning of P such that it (a) does not reflect general liability to psychopathology and (b) differs in meaning across studies. We then describe an alternative modeling framework, the bifactor-(S-1) approach. This method avoids anomalous results, provides a framework for explaining unexpected findings in published symmetrical bifactor studies, and yields a well-defined general factor that can be compared across studies when researchers hypothesize what construct they consider "transdiagnostically meaningful" and measure it directly. We present an empirical example to illustrate these points and provide concrete recommendations to help researchers decide for or against specific variants of bifactor structure.

How Robust Is the p Factor? Using Multitrait-Multimethod Modeling to Inform the Meaning of General Factors of Youth Psychopathology.

We used multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) modeling to examine general factors of psychopathology in three samples of youth (Ns = 2119, 303, 592) for whom three informants reported on the youth's psychopathology (e.g., child, parent, teacher). Empirical support for the p-factor diminished in multi-informant models compared with mono-informant models: the correlation between externalizing and internalizing factors decreased and the general factor in bifactor models essentially reflected externalizing. Widely used MTMM-informed approaches for modeling multi-informant data cannot distinguish between competing interpretations of the patterns of effects we observed, including that the p-factor reflects, in part, evaluative consistency bias or that psychopathology manifests differently across contexts (e.g., home vs. school). Ultimately, support for the p-factor may be stronger in mono-informant designs, although it is does not entirely vanish in multi-informant models. Instead, the general factor of psychopathology in any given mono-informant model likely reflects a complex mix of variances, some substantive and some methodological.

General Factor of Personality and Its Relationship with the Dark Triad and Social Intelligence in Slovenian Adolescents.

The general factor of personality (GFP) represents the shared variance between personality traits that yield social adjustment and acts as a core personality disposition. In the present study, the existence of GFP in a sample of 249 Slovenian adolescents aged 15-19 years was investigated, and the relationship between GFP, the Dark Triad, and social intelligence was researched. The study used three self-report questionnaires to measure the Big Five, the Dark Triad, and three dimensions of social intelligence. It was found that, in adolescents, GFP exists (although in a somewhat different composition than in previous studies) and is negatively correlated with Machiavellianism and psychopathy and positively correlated with social skills and social awareness. GFP acts as a significant positive predictor of all social intelligence dimensions, and Machiavellianism acts as a significant positive predictor of social information processing and social skills. It can be concluded that GFP and, to a certain extent, perhaps some manipulative tendencies positively predict how an individual functions in society. With these findings, the study contributes to the understanding of the (hierarchical) structure of personality and its association with behavior in social interactions, which is one of the most important developmental tasks in adolescence.

Associations between psychiatric polygenic risk scores and general and specific psychopathology symptoms in childhood and adolescence between and within dizygotic twin pairs.

BACKGROUND: Although polygenic risk scores (PRS) predict psychiatric problems, these associations might be attributable to indirect pathways including population stratification, assortative mating, or dynastic effects (mediation via parental environments). The goal of this study was to examine whether PRS-psychiatric symptom associations were attributable to indirect versus direct pathways. METHODS: The sample consisted of 3,907 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. In childhood, their parents rated them on 98 symptoms. In adolescence (n = 2,393 DZ pairs), both the parents and the twins rated themselves on 20 symptoms. We extracted one general and seven specific factors from the childhood data, and one general and three specific factors from the adolescent data. We then regressed each general factor model onto ten psychiatric PRS simultaneously. We first conducted the regressions between individuals (ß) and then within DZ twin pairs (ßw ), which controls for indirect pathways. RESULTS: In childhood, the PRS for ADHD predicted general psychopathology (ß = 0.09, 95% CI: [0.06, 0.12]; ßw = 0.07 [0.01, 0.12]). Furthermore, the PRS for ADHD predicted specific inattention (ß = 0.04 [0.00, 0.08]; ßw = 0.09 [0.01, 0.17]) and specific hyperactivity (ß = 0.07 [0.04, 0.11]; ßw = 0.09 [0.01, 0.16]); the PRS for schizophrenia predicted specific learning (ß = 0.08 [0.03, 0.13]; ßw = 0.19 [0.08, 0.30]) and specific inattention problems (ß = 0.05 [0.01, 0.09]; ßw = 0.10 [0.02, 0.19]); and the PRS for neuroticism predicted specific anxiety (ß = 0.06 [0.02, 0.10]; ßw = 0.06 [0.00, 0.12]). Overall, the PRS-general factor associations were similar between individuals and within twin pairs, whereas the PRS-specific factors associations amplified by 84% within pairs. CONCLUSIONS: This implies that PRS-psychiatric symptom associations did not appear attributable to indirect pathways such as population stratification, assortative mating, or mediation via parental environments. Rather, genetics appeared to directly influence symptomatology.

The General Factors of Personality Disorder, Psychopathology, and Personality.

There is considerable interest in the study of the general factors of personality disorder (g-PD), psychopathology (p factor), and personality (GFP). One prominent interpretation of the g-PD is that it is defined by the self-interpersonal impairments of Criterion A of the DSM-5 Section III. However, no study has directly tested this hypothesis as no prior g-PD study has included a measure of Criterion A. The current study provides a direct test of this hypothesis, along with comparing g-PD with the general factors of psychopathology and personality. Also extracted was a common general factor across all three domains. Suggested herein is that the g-PD, the p factor, and the GFP reflect the impairments (e.g., social and occupational dysfunction) that are secondary to the traits and disorders rather than the traits and/or disorders themselves.

Infant temperament prospectively predicts general psychopathology in childhood.

Recent models of psychopathology suggest the presence of a general factor capturing the shared variance among all symptoms along with specific psychopathology factors (e.g., internalizing and externalizing). However, few studies have examined predictors that may serve as transdiagnostic risk factors for general psychopathology from early development. In the current study we examine, for the first time, whether observed and parent-reported infant temperament dimensions prospectively predict general psychopathology as well as specific psychopathology dimensions (e.g., internalizing and externalizing) across childhood. In a longitudinal cohort (N = 291), temperament dimensions were assessed at 4 months of age. Psychopathology symptoms were assessed at 7, 9, and 12 years of age. A bifactor model was used to estimate general, internalizing, and externalizing psychopathology factors. Across behavioral observations and parent-reports, higher motor activity in infancy significantly predicted greater general psychopathology in mid to late childhood. Moreover, low positive affect was predictive of the internalizing-specific factor. Other temperament dimensions were not related with any of the psychopathology factors after accounting for the general psychopathology factor. The results of this study suggest that infant motor activity may act as an early indicator of transdiagnostic risk. Our findings inform the etiology of general psychopathology and have implications for the early identification for children at risk for psychopathology.

Direct and Indirect Associations of Widespread Individual Differences in Brain White Matter Microstructure With Executive Functioning and General and Specific Dimensions of Psychopathology in Children.

BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EFs) are important partly because they are associated with risk for psychopathology and substance use problems. Because EFs have been linked to white matter microstructure, we tested the prediction that fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in white matter tracts are associated with EFs and dimensions of psychopathology in children younger than the age of widespread psychoactive substance use. METHODS: Parent symptom ratings, EF test scores, and diffusion tensor parameters from 8588 9- to 10-year-olds in the ABCD Study (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study) were used. RESULTS: A latent factor derived from EF test scores was significantly associated with specific conduct problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder problems, with dimensions defined in a bifactor model. Furthermore, EFs were associated with FA and MD in 16 of 17 bilateral white matter tracts (range: ß = .05; SE = .17; through ß = -.31; SE = .06). Neither FA nor MD was directly associated with psychopathology, but there were significant indirect associations via EFs of both FA (range: ß = .01; SE = .01; through ß = -.09; SE = .02) and MD (range: ß = .01; SE = .01; through ß = .09; SE = .02) with both specific conduct problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in all tracts except the forceps minor. CONCLUSIONS: EFs in children are inversely associated with diffusion tensor imaging measures in nearly all tracts throughout the brain. Furthermore, variance in diffusion tensor measures that is shared with EFs is indirectly shared with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct problems.

Differentiated nomological networks of internalizing, externalizing, and the general factor of psychopathology ('p factor') in emerging adolescence in the ABCD study.

BACKGROUND: Structural models of psychopathology consistently identify internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) specific factors as well as a superordinate factor that captures their shared variance, the p factor. Questions remain, however, about the meaning of these data-driven dimensions and the interpretability and distinguishability of the larger nomological networks in which they are embedded. METHODS: The sample consisted of 10 645 youth aged 9-10 years participating in the multisite Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. p, INT, and EXT were modeled using the parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Patterns of associations were examined with variables drawn from diverse domains including demographics, psychopathology, temperament, family history of substance use and psychopathology, school and family environment, and cognitive ability, using instruments based on youth-, parent-, and teacher-report, and behavioral task performance. RESULTS: p exhibited a broad pattern of statistically significant associations with risk variables across all domains assessed, including temperament, neurocognition, and social adversity. The specific factors exhibited more domain-specific patterns of associations, with INT exhibiting greater fear/distress and EXT exhibiting greater impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS: In this largest study of hierarchical models of psychopathology to date, we found that p, INT, and EXT exhibit well-differentiated nomological networks that are interpretable in terms of neurocognition, impulsivity, fear/distress, and social adversity. These networks were, in contrast, obscured when relying on the a priori Internalizing and Externalizing dimensions of the CBCL scales. Our findings add to the evidence for the validity of p, INT, and EXT as theoretically and empirically meaningful broad psychopathology liabilities.

Personal values, trait emotional intelligence, and mental health problems.

Personal values and personality traits are related yet distinguishable constructs linked to mental health. The present study extends the current literature on personal values and personality traits by investigating the associations between the higher-order dimensions of personal values (i.e., general values factor, conservation, and self-transcendence), trait emotional intelligence (TEI), and mental health problems (i.e., depressive, anxiety, and somatoform syndromes). The study draws on a cross-sectional online sample of N = 618 young German adults. Global TEI and all four TEI factors (i.e., well-being, sociability, emotionality, and self-control) correlated positively with the g-value factor but negatively with conservation. Emotionality was also positively related to self-transcendence. Mental health problems correlated positively with conservation and negatively with the general values factor. When the effects of global TEI were accounted for, conservation but not the general values factor remained significantly related to mental health problems. Global TEI fully mediated the relationship between the g-value factor and mental health problems and partially mediated the association between conservation and mental health problems. The implications of these results are discussed.