Childhood mental health difficulties mediate the long‐term association between early‐life adversity at age 3 and poorer cognitive functioning at ages 11 and 14

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21344444
AutoresTochukwu Nweze (0000-0001-6514-381X, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit University of Cambridge Cambridge UK, autor correspondente), Michael Onyeka Ezenwa (0000-0001-5207-1888, Nnamdi Azikiwe University), Michael Ezenwa (Department of Psychology Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria), Cyriacus Ajaelu (Department of Psychology Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria), C C Ajaelu (Nnamdi Azikiwe University), Chukwuemeka Okoye (Department of Psychology Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria), Chukwuemeka A F Okoye (0000-0002-8018-9995, Nnamdi Azikiwe University)
Ano2023
Volume64
Fascículo6
Páginas952-965
Data de publicação2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0021-9630 • E-ISSN: 1469-7610
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jcpp.13757
PMID36751886
OpenAlexW4319461165
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas52

BACKGROUND: Early-life adversity is associated with adverse mental health outcomes and poorer cognitive functioning in later development. However, little is known about how early-life adversity, mental health, and cognition affect one another or how the effects unfold over time. Here, we test the hypothesis that early-life adversity may lead to mental health challenges which in turn have adverse consequences for the development of cognitive abilities. METHODS: In a large (N = 13,287) longitudinal (5 wave) sample assessed at ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14, we use both path analysis approach and latent growth curve mediation model to study whether poorer mental health in childhood may mediate the effects of early-life adversity on later working memory and vocabulary outcomes. RESULTS: We found a significant total association between early-life adversity and poorer performance on working memory (β = .123, p < .001, [95% CI 0.106, 0.141]) and vocabulary scores (β = -.111, p < .001, [95% CI -0.129, -0.093]). Notably, current and previous mental health mediated a substantial proportion (working memory: 59%; vocabulary: 70%) of these effects. Further longitudinal modeling showed that early-life adversity has an enduring adverse effect on mental health, and that poorer mental health is associated with poorer cognitive performance later on in development. In a complementary analysis using latent growth curve mediation model, we found indirect associations between early-life adversity and working memory through baseline mental health at age 3 (intercept: β = .083, p < .001, [95% CI 0.072, 0.094]) and change in mental health across ages 3-11 (slope: β = -.012, p = .001, [95% CI -0.019, -0.005]). Likewise, baseline mental health at age 3 (intercept: β = -.095, p < .001, [95% CI -0.107, -0.083]) and change in mental health across ages 3-14 (slope: β = .007, p = .001, [95% CI 0.003, 0.011]) significantly and completely mediated the relation between early-life adversity and vocabulary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important potential clinical and educational implications, because they suggest that academic and cognitive resilience may be supported through early mental health interventions in vulnerable children

Association (psychology) · Cognition · Cognitive skill · Developmental psychology · Latent growth modeling · Longitudinal study · Mediation · Mental health · Moderated mediation · Psychiatry · Structural equation modeling · Working memory · Child Abuse and Trauma · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol