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The association between executive functioning and psychopathology: general or specific?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2018

A. J. P. Bloemen ,
A. J. Oldehinkel ,
O. M. Laceulle ,
J. Ormel ,
N. N. J. Rommelse  and
C. A. Hartman
A. J. P. Bloemen*
Affiliation:
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Groningen, The Netherlands
A. J. Oldehinkel
Affiliation:
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Groningen, The Netherlands
O. M. Laceulle
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
J. Ormel
Affiliation:
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Groningen, The Netherlands
N. N. J. Rommelse
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
C. A. Hartman
Affiliation:
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Groningen, The Netherlands
*
Author for correspondence: A. J. P. Bloemen, E-mail: a.j.p.bloemen@umcg.nl
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Abstract

Background

We modeled both psychopathology and executive function (EF) as bi-factor models to study if EF impairments are transdiagnostic or relate to individual syndromes, and concurrently, if such associations are with general EF or specific EF impairments.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS; N = 2230). Psychopathology was assessed with parent-report questionnaires at ages 11, 14, 16, and 19, and EF with tasks from the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks program at ages 11 and 19. Bi-factor models were fitted to the data using confirmatory factor analysis. Correlations were estimated to study the associations between general or specific components of both psychopathology and EF.

Results

A bi-factor model with a general psychopathology factor, alongside internalizing (INT), externalizing, attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD), and autism spectrum (ASD) problem domains, and a bi-factor model with a general EF factor, alongside specific EFs were adequately fitting measurement models. The best-fitting model between EF and psychopathology showed substantial associations of specific EFs with the general psychopathology factor, in addition to distinct patterns of association with ASD, ADHD, and INT problems.

Conclusions

By studying very diverse psychopathology domains simultaneously, we show how EF impairments cross diagnostic boundaries. In addition to this generic relation, ADHD, ASD, and INT symptomatology show separable profiles of EF impairments. Thus, inconsistent findings in the literature may be explained by substantial transdiagnostic EF impairments. Whether general EF or specific EFs are related to psychopathology needs to be further studied, as differences in fit between these models were small.

Keywords

Executive functioninggeneral psychopathologypsychiatric domains
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 48 , Issue 11 , August 2018 , pp. 1787 - 1794
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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