Factors contributing to continuity and discontinuity in child psychopathology from infancy to childhood: An explorative study

This study examined the psychopathology and socioemotional functioning of school-aged children treated during infancy and a comparison group of children without symptoms or treatment history. Our goal was to identify the factors associated with the continuity of psychopathology from infancy to childhood. The sample comprised 54 Israeli children, 30 with treatment history as infants in an infant mental health clinic and 24 with no treatment history. A 2 × 2 study design, with treatment history (treated/non-treated) and current psychiatric diagnosis (diagnosed vs. non-diagnosed), was used and group differences in children’s psychopathology (Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA)), socioemotional functioning (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition (VABS-II)), maternal stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI/SF)) and psychopathology (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R)), family functioning (Family Assessment Device (FAD)), and mother–child relational patterns (Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB)) were assessed. We found no differences between the previously treated and non-treated groups in the rate of given Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis. However, there was an interactive effect of treatment history × current psychiatric diagnosis, with the highest level of maternal stress in mothers of children exhibiting both early and late emotional and/or behavioral symptoms. Implications of these findings for identifying children and families at risk for continued child psychopathology and the importance of early parent–child psychotherapy interventions are discussed.