Trajectories of Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology

This line of our research is motivated to understand the precursors, including genetic, psychosocial, and psychological, of risk and protection from the development of internalizing and externalizing outcomes over time. We utilize longitudinal modeling techniques, such as latent class analysis and latent growth curve models, to identify multiyear trajectories of these outcomes across diverse samples. We leverage a multitude of multi-dimensional longitudinal datasets to answer our research questions, including from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD).

We also incorporate powerful genome-wide tools (e.g., polygenic scores) to investigate the ways in which genes and psychosocial development might influence how a person develops mental health outcomes over time.

Developmental trajectories of depression in Add Health. From Li, Zhang, & Lu, 2020.

Representative articles: