Citation

Lansing AE, Plante WY, Golshan S, Fenemma-Notestine C, Thuret S. Learn. Individ. Differ. 2019; 70: 201-215.

Affiliation

King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.lindif.2017.01.014

PMID

31130798

PMCID

PMC6532995

Abstract

Research supports cascading relationships among internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and academic problems. This constellation of problems characterizes Early-Onset/Persistent Delinquent [EOPD] youth and appropriately targeted interventions accounting for this comorbidity may improve outcomes. To investigate these relationships in EOPD youth, we characterized their cross-diagnostic psychopathology and verbal (word-list) learning/memory and evaluated: 1) verbal learning/memory profiles of Withdrawn/Depressed relative to Non-Withdrawn/Depressed youth; 2) cognitive and psychiatric predictors of verbal learning; and 3) emotion regulation as a mediator of psychiatric and cognitive relationships.

RESULTS indicated Withdrawn/Depressed youth recalled significantly fewer words during immediate, and some delayed, recall conditions. Less word-learning was predicted by: Withdrawn/Depressed classification, higher trauma-specific re-experiencing symptoms, greater emotion dysregulation, weaker executive skills, fewer trauma-avoidance and aggressive symptoms, and earlier alcohol-use onset. Emotion regulation strongly mediated the relationship between verbal learning and psychopathology, but not cognitive skills, among youth at high-risk for school dropout. Mental health and education implications are discussed.

Language: en