The role of personality in the co-occurrence of emotional and conduct problems in adolescents: a confirmation of Corr's “joint subsystems” hypothesis

Abstract

Adjustment problems were investigated in a sample of 768 Russian adolescents aged 11–17 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by teachers, parents and children. Participants also completed a short form of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ-S) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R). Neuroticism (N) and behavioural inhibition (BIS) were the best predictors of emotional symptoms (ES), while psychoticism (P) and behavioural activation (BAS) predicted conduct disorder (CD). Co-occurrence of ES and CD was associated with high scores on both N and P. A combination of N and P mediated the relationship between self-reported ES and CD. Consistent with Corr, 2002a, Corr, 2002b hypothesis, BAS (or P) moderated the relationship between BIS (or N) and ES, while BIS (or N) moderated the relationship between BAS (or P) and CD. These interaction effects were most pronounced in males and were significant only for self-reported adjustment problems.