Publications [#253138] of Terrie E. Moffitt

Journal Articles

1. Caspi, A; Houts, RM; Belsky, DW; Goldman-Mellor, SJ; Harrington, H; Israel, S; Meier, MH; Ramrakha, S; Shalev, I; Poulton, R; Moffitt, TE (2014). The p Factor: One General Psychopathology Factor in the Structure of Psychiatric Disorders?. Clinical Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 2(2), 119-137. [doi]
   (last updated on 2024/04/19)

   Abstract:
   Mental disorders traditionally have been viewed as distinct, episodic, and categorical conditions. This view has been challenged by evidence that many disorders are sequentially comorbid, recurrent/chronic, and exist on a continuum. Using the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, we examined the structure of psychopathology, taking into account dimensionality, persistence, co-occurrence, and sequential comorbidity of mental disorders across 20 years, from adolescence to midlife. Psychiatric disorders were initially explained by three higher-order factors (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Thought Disorder) but explained even better with one General Psychopathology dimension. We have called this dimension the p factor because it conceptually parallels a familiar dimension in psychological science: the g factor of general intelligence. Higher p scores are associated with more life impairment, greater familiality, worse developmental histories, and more compromised early-life brain function. The p factor explains why it is challenging to find causes, consequences, biomarkers, and treatments with specificity to individual mental disorders. Transdiagnostic approaches may improve research.