Trajectories of childhood social isolation in a nationally representative cohort: Associations with antecedents and early adulthood outcomes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trajectories of childhood social isolation in a nationally representative cohort

T2 - Associations with antecedents and early adulthood outcomes

AU - Thompson, Katherine N.

AU - Odgers, Candice L.

AU - Bryan, Bridget T.

AU - Danese, Andrea

AU - Milne, Barry J.

AU - Strange, Lily

AU - Matthews, Timothy

AU - Arseneault, Louise

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. JCPP Advances published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Background: This study examined early life antecedents of childhood social isolation, whether these factors accounted for poor outcomes of isolated children, and how these associations varied according to patterns of stability and change in childhood isolation. Methods: Participants included 2232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. We conducted growth mixture modelling (GMM) on combined parent and teacher reports of children's social isolation when children were 5, 7, 10 and 12 years, and we assessed associations with age-5 antecedents and age-18 outcomes using regression analyses. Results: We identified three linear developmental trajectories of increasing (4.75%), decreasing (5.25%) and low stable (90.00%) social isolation. Age-5 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, emotional problems, prosocial behaviours, maternal personality (openness) and size of school were associated with the decreasing trajectory of social isolation. When controlling for these antecedents, increasingly isolated children were still more likely to experience ADHD symptoms, loneliness, lower job optimism and lower physical activity at age 18. Conclusions: Isolated children follow distinct patterns of change over childhood and isolation seems most detrimental to health at the time it is experienced. Social isolation can be a valuable indicator of co-occurring problems and provide targets for mental health intervention in young people.

AB - Background: This study examined early life antecedents of childhood social isolation, whether these factors accounted for poor outcomes of isolated children, and how these associations varied according to patterns of stability and change in childhood isolation. Methods: Participants included 2232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. We conducted growth mixture modelling (GMM) on combined parent and teacher reports of children's social isolation when children were 5, 7, 10 and 12 years, and we assessed associations with age-5 antecedents and age-18 outcomes using regression analyses. Results: We identified three linear developmental trajectories of increasing (4.75%), decreasing (5.25%) and low stable (90.00%) social isolation. Age-5 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, emotional problems, prosocial behaviours, maternal personality (openness) and size of school were associated with the decreasing trajectory of social isolation. When controlling for these antecedents, increasingly isolated children were still more likely to experience ADHD symptoms, loneliness, lower job optimism and lower physical activity at age 18. Conclusions: Isolated children follow distinct patterns of change over childhood and isolation seems most detrimental to health at the time it is experienced. Social isolation can be a valuable indicator of co-occurring problems and provide targets for mental health intervention in young people.

KW - developmental trajectories

KW - growth mixture modelling

KW - longitudinal research

KW - mental health

KW - social isolation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85167951174&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/jcv2.12073

DO - 10.1002/jcv2.12073

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85167951174

SN - 2692-9384

VL - 2

JO - JCPP Advances

JF - JCPP Advances

IS - 2

M1 - e12073

ER -