6-YEAR PREDICTORS OF PROBLEMS IN A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH .1. CROSS-INFORMANT SYNDROMES

Objective: To illuminate the development of psychopathology by tracing 6-year predictive paths to outcomes assessed in terms of empirically based syndromes. Method: A national sample assessed at ages 4 through 12 years via parent reports was reassessed 3 and 6 years later via par ent, teacher, and self-reports. Results: For syndromes having the clea rest DSM counterparts, cross-informant predictive paths revealed simil ar traitlike patterns for Aggressive Behavior in both sexes; Delinquen t Behavior was less traitlike, with greater sex differences in predict ive paths; the Attention Problems syndrome was developmentally stable, but, surprisingly, it was associated with more diverse difficulties a mong girls than boys; conversely, Anxious/Depressed was associated wit h more diverse difficulties among boys than girls. Conclusions: Quanti fication of problems via empirically based syndromes can detect import ant sex, age, and developmental variations that may be masked by unifo rm diagnostic cutoff points for both sexes and diverse ages. This may be especially true for diagnostic cutoff points derived mainly from cl inical cases of one sex, such as depression for girls versus attention and conduct disorders for boys.