Adjudication and Validation of Models of Externalizing Psychopathology in Youth Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Externalizing psychopathology refers to psychiatric disorders and symptoms of behavioral dysregulation and disinhibition. Externalizing psychopathology is very costly and highly prevalent in the population. Clarifying the etiology of externalizing psychopathology holds the potential to reduce the burden of these disorders by enabling targeted interventions. Although twin and adoption studies of externalizing psychopathology provide good estimates of genetic and environmental influences at the population-level, they do not predict externalizing psychopathology risk at the individual level. In contrast, methods like polygenic scores (PGS) provide estimates of individual risk and may help to further clarify etiology and improve the targeting of interventions. However, phenotypic operationalization of externalizing psychopathology and the nature of polygenic risk as indexed by PGSs may undermine this important aim. In two complementary studies, we used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study sample to address these issues. In Study 1, we adjudicated among multiple models of externalizing psychopathology in youth using model fit indices, alternative factor indices (including the magnitude, variability, and precision of factor loadings) and external validity analyses. We found that an elaborated bifactor model of externalizing psychopathology performed better than other models across many criteria. In Study 2, we regressed all externalizing latent factors from the elaborated bifactor model on externalizing and non-externalizing PGSs in a series of models that incrementally adjusted for covariates. Results from Study 2 supported the convergent and divergent validity of broad externalizing PGSs and the general externalizing dimension of an elaborated bifactor model. There was limited support for the criterion validity of specific PGSs and limited support for the convergent and divergent validity of specific externalizing factors. These studies help to provide a clearer etiological understanding of an especially prevalent and costly form of psychopathology. We discuss the implications of these findings for our current understanding and the future study of the etiology of externalizing psychopathology in youth.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

General Introduction ….........……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1

STUDY 1: Testing Elaborated Models of Youth Externalizing in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive

Development (ABCD) Study …………………………………………………………...............................…….…………………….6

Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..………………. 7

Introduction …………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………… 8

Methods ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13

Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………...……………………………………….. 54

STUDY 2: Polygenic Risk for General and Specific Externalizing Dimensions in the Adolescent

Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study …………………………...............................………………………...............63

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..64

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..65

Methods …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..72

Results …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….80

Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………106

General Discussion …….......………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………114

References ………………………………………………………………………….....……………………………………………………122

Figures and Tables

STUDY 1: Testing Elaborated Models of Youth Externalizing in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive

Development (ABCD) Study …………………………….......................……………………….............………………………………. 11

Table 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26

Table 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Table 3 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 33

Table 4 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 34

Table 5 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 38

Table 6 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39

Table 7 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 40

Table 8 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 42

Table 9 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 44

Table 10 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 50

Figure 1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 50

Table 11 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………. 52

Figure 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 52

Table 12 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……….. 53

Figure 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54

Table 13 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 55

Figure 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56

Table 14 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57

Figure 5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57

Figure 6 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 59

STUDY 2: Polygenic Risk for General and Specific Externalizing Dimensions in the Adolescent

Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study ………....................................................………………………………………… 68

Table 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 82

Figure 1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 85

Figure 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 86

Figure 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 88

Figure 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 88

Figure 5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 90

Figure 6 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 91

Figure 7 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 92

Figure 8 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 94

Figure 9 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 94

Figure 10 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 95

Figure 11 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 96

Figure 12 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 97

Figure 13 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 98

Figure 14 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…… 99

Figure 15 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…… 99

. Figure 16 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 104

Figure 17 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 104

Figure 18 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 105

Figure 19 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 105

Figure 20 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 106

Figure 21 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 106

Figure 22 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 107

Figure 23 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 107

Figure 24 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 109

Figure 25 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 109

Figure 26 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 110

Figure 27 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 110

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Clinical Science
Degree	Ph.D.
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Clinical
Keyword	Externalizing Psychopathology Confirmatory Factor Analysis Polygenic Scores
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Irwin D. Waldman, Ph.D., Emory University
Committee Members	Stella F. Lourenco, Ph.D., Emory University Rohan H. Palmer, Ph.D., Emory University Phillip Wolff, Ph.D., Emory University Peter F. Hitchcock, Ph.D., Emory University Phillip A. Kragel, Ph.D., Emory University

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