Associations of crying, sleeping, and feeding problems in early childhood and perceived social support with emotional disorders in adulthood

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Jäkel, Julia
  • Kati Heinonen
  • Nicole Baumann
  • Ayten Bilgin
  • Riikka Pyhälä
  • Christian Sorg
  • Katri Räikkönen
  • Dieter Wolke

Background: Multiple or persistent crying, sleeping, or feeding problems in early childhood (regulatory problems) are associated with increased internalizing symptoms in adulthood. Unknown is whether early regulatory problems are associated with emotional disorders in adulthood, and what psychosocial factors may provide protection. We tested whether early childhood multiple or persistent regulatory problems are associated with a higher risk of (a) any mood and anxiety disorder in adulthood; (b) perceiving no social support in adulthood; and (c) whether social support provides protection from mood and anxiety disorders among participants who had multiple/persistent regulatory problems and those who never had regulatory problems. Methods: Data from two prospective longitudinal studies in Germany (n = 297) and Finland (n = 342) was included (N = 639). Regulatory problems were assessed at 5, 20, and 56 months with the same standardized parental interviews and neurological examinations. In adulthood (24–30 years), emotional disorders were assessed with diagnostic interviews and social support with questionnaires. Results: Children with multiple/persistent regulatory problems (n = 132) had a higher risk of any mood disorder (odds ratio (OR) = 1.81 [95% confidence interval = 1.01–3.23]) and of not having any social support from peers and friends (OR = 1.67 [1.07–2.58]) in adulthood than children who never had regulatory problems. Social support from peers and friends provided protection from mood disorders, but only among adults who never had regulatory problems (OR = 4.03 [2.16–7.94]; p =.039 for regulatory problems x social support interaction). Conclusions: Children with multiple/persistent regulatory problems are at increased risk of mood disorders in young adulthood. Social support from peers and friends may, however, only provide protection from mood disorders in individuals who never had regulatory problems.

Original languageEnglish
Article number394
JournalBMC Psychiatry
Volume23
Issue number1
ISSN1471-244X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jun 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).

    Research areas

  • Anxiety disorder, Clinical diagnoses, Life-course, Mood disorder, Protection, Regulatory problems, Social support

ID: 393146196