6-YEAR PREDICTORS OF PROBLEMS IN A NATIONAL SAMPLE .3. TRANSITIONS TOYOUNG-ADULT SYNDROMES

Objective: To test developmental paths from adolescent syndromes and o ther candidate predictors to young adult syndromes. Method: A national sample assessed at ages 13 through 16 and 16 through 19 years was rea ssessed at 19 through 22 years in terms of six syndromes derived empir ically from parent and self-reports, two syndromes derived only from p arent reports, and one derived from self-reports. Results: Several you ng adult syndromes were similar to adolescent syndromes and were stron gly predicted by these syndromes. A new syndrome designated as Shows O ff and an adult Aggressive Behavior syndrome were both predicted by th e adolescent Aggressive Behavior syndrome. This indicates a developmen tal transition away from overt aggression among some aggressive youths but not others. A syndrome designated as Irresponsible was predicted by the adolescent Attention Problems syndrome and may be an adult phen otype of attention deficit disorder. Surprisingly, attention problems were associated with more diverse problems among females than males. C onclusions: There are strong predictive relations from adolescent to a dult syndromes. Sex differences in predictive paths argue against basi ng assumptions about both sexes on findings for one sex.