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Temperamental Characteristics of Withdrawn Behavior Problems in Children

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Abstract

Withdrawn/depressed behavior (WD) as defined by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) relates to various outcomes in developmental psychopathology such as depression, pervasive developmental disorders, and suicide. We sought to examine the temperamental characteristics of children who concurrently endorse symptoms of WD. Junior Temperament and Characteristic Inventory (JTCI) and CBCL data were collected from 397 children’s parents in a family study in the northeastern United States. Linear mixed models were used to test the relations between WD and temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence) on the JTCI, while controlling for age, sex, item overlap, and co-occurring aggression and attention problems. When controlling for definitional artifact and CBCL aggressive behavior and attention scores, high harm avoidance and low reward dependence were both significant predictors of childhood withdrawn behavior. This study marks the first characterization of a temperamental profile associated with WD in children and adolescents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    David H. Rubin & Erica Krist

  2. Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA

    Eileen T. Crehan, Robert R. Althoff, David C. Rettew, Valerie Harder & James J. Hudziak

  3. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    John T. Walkup

Authors
  1. David H. Rubin
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  2. Eileen T. Crehan
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  3. Robert R. Althoff
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  4. David C. Rettew
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  5. Erica Krist
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  6. Valerie Harder
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  7. John T. Walkup
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  8. James J. Hudziak
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Correspondence to David H. Rubin.

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Rubin, D.H., Crehan, E.T., Althoff, R.R. et al. Temperamental Characteristics of Withdrawn Behavior Problems in Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 48, 478–484 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-016-0674-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-016-0674-z

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