Aging and the structure and long-term stability of the internalizing spectrum of personality and psychopathology

Psychol Aging. 2011 Dec;26(4):987-93. doi: 10.1037/a0024406. Epub 2011 Jul 4.

Abstract

Structural psychopathology research has identified two broad factors--internalizing and externalizing--that account for comorbidity among many common mental disorders. Evaluating the utility of these factors for nosology, research, and treatment entails expanding beyond a cross-sectional understanding to how these factors evolve over time. We tested factorial invariance of internalizing in three age cohort groups--35 years and under (n = 1,729), 36-50 years (n = 2,719), and over 50 years (n = 2,601)--as well as the long-term stability of internalizing within individuals. Internalizing showed a notable degree of invariance between cohorts and within cohorts over time; long-term internalizing stability was equivalently moderate-to-high in each cohort.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aging / psychology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Comorbidity
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Emotions
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control*
  • International Classification of Diseases
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Mood Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Mood Disorders / psychology
  • Personality*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult