The dimensionality and latent structure of mental health difficulties and wellbeing in early adolescence.

ABSTRACT: Research with adults and older adolescents suggests a general factor may underlie both mental health difficulties and wellbeing. However, the classical bifactor model commonly used to demonstrate this general trait has recently been criticised when a unidimensional structure is not supported. Furthermore, research is lacking in this area with children and early adolescents. We present confirmatory factor analysis models to explore the structure of psychopathology and wellbeing in early adolescents, using secondary data from a large U.K. sample (N = 1982). A simple correlated factors structure fitted the data well and revealed that wellbeing was just as related to internalising as this was to externalising symptoms. The classical bifactor solution also fitted the data well but was rejected

SUBMITTER: Black L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6391027 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature