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Citation

Kasparek, Steven W.; Gastón-Panthaki, Aria; Hanford, Lindsay C.; Lengua, Liliana J.; Sheridan, Margaret A.; & McLaughlin, Katie A. (Online ahead of print). Does Reward Processing Moderate or Mediate the Link between Childhood Adversity and Psychopathology: A Longitudinal Study. Development and Psychopathology.

Abstract

Childhood adversity is common and associated with elevated risk for transdiagnostic psychopathology. Reward processing has been implicated in the link between adversity and psychopathology, but whether it serves as a mediator or moderator is unclear. This study examined whether alterations in behavioral and neural reward processing function as a mechanism or moderator of psychopathology outcomes following adversity experiences, including threat (i.e., trauma) and deprivation. A longitudinal community sample of 10-15-year-old youths was assessed across two waves (Wave 1: n = 228; Wave 2: n = 206). Wave 1 assessed adverse experiences, psychopathology symptoms, reward processing on a monetary incentive delay task, and resting-state fMRI. At Wave 2, psychopathology symptoms were reassessed. Greater threat experiences were associated with blunted behavioral reward sensitivity, which, in turn, predicted increases in depression symptoms over time and mediated the prospective association between threat and depression symptoms. In contrast, reward sensitivity moderated the association between deprivation experiences and prospective externalizing symptoms such that the positive association of deprivation with increasing externalizing symptoms was absent for children with high levels of reward sensitivity.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954579423000962

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

Online ahead of print

Journal Title

Development and Psychopathology

Author(s)

Kasparek, Steven W.
Gastón-Panthaki, Aria
Hanford, Lindsay C.
Lengua, Liliana J.
Sheridan, Margaret A.
McLaughlin, Katie A.

Article Type

Regular

Continent/Country

United States

State

Washington

ORCiD

Sheridan - 0000-0002-8909-7501