Abstract
BackgroundThere are numerous observations of reward sensitivity being associated with different psychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, most studies investigating this relationship have been cross-sectional. Additionally, current knowledge is fragmentary as studies often investigate only one disorder at a time. The present study addresses these gaps by investigating whether reward sensitivity at age 13 predicts the course of nine psychopathology domains (attention and hyperactivity, autism spectrum, reactive aggression, proactive aggression, mood, anxiety, smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis use) over a 14-year follow-up period.MethodsWe used dimensional outcomes on 2,523 individuals over five measurement waves between ages 13 and 26 of the Dutch Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Reward sensitivity was measured with the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scale. The longitudinal associations between reward sensitivity and psychopathology were examined using growth curve analysis within a multilevel framework.ResultsReward sensitivity at age 13 was associated with changes in psychopathology over time. Reward sensitivity had a stable main effect on the future course of reactive and proactive aggression problems and anxiety problems. The effect of reward sensitivity increased over time for alcohol and cannabis use. Post-hoc analyses showed that reward sensitivity also had a stable effect on attention problems and hyperactivity and smoking when based on the fun-seeking subscale for both domains and when changing the informant who reported on attention problems and hyperactivity. No evidence was found for a longitudinal association between reward sensitivity and autism spectrum problems and mood problems.ConclusionThe current study provides evidence for the long-lasting effects of reward sensitivity on the course of different domains of psychopathology.
Highlights
Rewards are essential for human behavior because they guarantee our survival and influence our positive emotional experiences, motivation, and learning processes [1]
The present study addresses these gaps by investigating whether reward sensitivity at age 13 predicts the course of nine psychopathology domains over a 14-year follow-up period
Post-hoc analyses showed that reward sensitivity had a stable effect on attention problems and hyperactivity and smoking when based on the fun-seeking subscale for both domains and when changing the informant who reported on attention problems and hyperactivity
Summary
Rewards are essential for human behavior because they guarantee our survival (e.g., by eating and drinking water) and influence our positive emotional experiences, motivation, and learning processes [1]. People with high or low reward sensitivity might be more vulnerable to developing psychiatric disorders. Examples include attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), disruptive behavior disorders (DBD), major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders (SUD) [2–9]. Still, it is unclear whether extreme levels of reward sensitivity are merely part of the symptoms of psychopathology or play a role in the onset and course of psychiatric disorders. The present study addresses these gaps by investigating whether reward sensitivity at age 13 predicts the course of nine psychopathology domains (attention and hyperactivity, autism spectrum, reactive aggression, proactive aggression, mood, anxiety, smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis use) over a 14-year follow-up period
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