A Cross-Lagged Analysis of Emotion Regulation, Peer Problems, and Emotional Problems in Children With and Without Early Language Difficulties: Evidence From the Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract

Purpose Adolescents with a history of language difficulties are at risk for increased social and emotional difficulties; however, the pathways involved are unclear. We examine the contribution of poor emotion regulation by comparing longitudinal data from children at risk of developmental language disorder (rDLD) and the general population. Method Data from the Millennium Cohort Study were analyzed at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years. The rDLD group (children with parent-reported difficulties and/or a score of −1.5 SD s on the Naming Vocabulary subtest at age 5 years) was compared to a general population group on parent reports of emotion regulation, peer problems, and emotional problems. Results In line with the established literature, increased socioemotional problems in individuals with language difficulties were reported. Poor emotion regulation consistently predicted subsequent peer and emotional problems throughout development in both groups. Stronger cross-lag effects were found in the rDLD group for poor emotion regulation at age 3 years predicting age 5 years emotional problems and age 5 years emotional problems predicting age 7 years emotion regulation difficulties. Stronger reciprocal cross-lag effects were also observed in the rDLD group between peer and emotional problems at ages 3 and 5 years. No significant group differences were found in adolescence. Conclusions Poor emotion regulation makes a small but significant contribution to later peer and emotional difficulties, and this relationship is stronger in children at rDLD. Early reciprocal peer and emotional difficulties are also stronger in the rDLD group, but these effects dissipate in midchildhood. Nevertheless, the consistent relationship between early emotion regulation difficulties and socioemotional problems throughout development warrants further investigation in individuals with lower language skills. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12142059

Effects of Age and Gender in Emotion Regulation of Children and Adolescents

“…FEEL-KJ: Vragenlijst over emotieregulatie bij kinderen en jongeren [Questionnaire to Assess Children's and Adolescents Emotion Regulation Strategies Grob and Smolenski, 2005; Dutch version by Braet et al, 2014] is an instrument whose purpose is to measure emotional regulation in different emotions. In addition, the FEEL-KJ measures both internal and external regulation strategies.…”

“…The FEEL-KJ in its Dutch version has adequate psychometric properties, with an internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the 15 scales ranging from a α = 0.59 to a α = 0.91. For the secondary scales, α = 0.94 (8-12) and α = 0.95 (13-18) for adaptive strategies; α = 0.89 (8-12) and α = 0.92 for maladaptive strategies and α = 0.79 (8-12) and α = 0.89 (13-18) for external strategies (Braet et al, 2014). The internal consistency index (i.e.…”

“…The FEEL-KJ has been used in different research on emotional regulation and binge eating in children and adolescents from 8 to 13 years old (Czaja et al, 2009), loss of control eating in adolescents from 12 to 18 years old (Goossens et al, 2016) influence of emotional regulation on emotional disorders (Braet et al, 2014;Van Beveren et al, 2016) or the development of emotional regulation throughout childhood and adolescence (Cracco et al, 2017). It's use would also be useful to study the use of different emotional regulation strategies among different ages as well gender differences, an aspect that we are concerned with in this research.…”

Consistency of Parental and Self-Reported Adolescent Wellbeing: Evidence From Developmental Language Disorder

“…Adolescents with low language (LL) ability also present with impairment(s) in language, but not to the degree necessary to warrant a diagnosis of DLD. In addition, adolescents with DLD and those with LL can have pervasive needs in non-language domains such as psychosocial functioning (Conti-Ramsden et al, 2013;Yew and O'Kearney, 2013;Forrest et al, 2020;Toseeb and St Clair, 2020) and emotional regulation skill (Fujiki et al, 2002) and report lower self-perceived health than their TD peers (Beitchman et al, 2014). Given such challenges it is likely that individuals with DLD would be at increased risk of poorer wellbeing than their TD peers.…”

Does early child language predict internalizing symptoms in adolescence? An investigation in two birth cohorts born 30 years apart

“…A number of studies have found that children with DLD when aged 4-7 years are at increased risk of later mental health difficulties when aged 8-19 years, compared with their typically-developing peers (Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Wadman, Botting, Durkin & Conti-Ramsden, 2011;Conti-Ramsden, Mok, Pickles & Durkin, 2013;Beitchman et al, 2001; although see Snowling, Bishop, Stothard, Chipchase & Kaplan, 2006;Redmond & Rice, 2002 for counterevidence). These findings are hard to interpret since, despite group differences, continuous measures of language ability do not always predict internalizing symptoms in the children studied (Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Wadman et al, 2011).…”