This study examined the extent to which effortful control moderated
the risk of internalizing or externalizing problems associated with high
negative emotionality in a Dutch population sample of pre- and early
adolescents (N = 1,922). Internalizing and externalizing problems
were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report, and
Teacher Checklist of Psychopathology. Temperament (effortful control,
fearfulness, frustration) was assessed with the parent version of the
Revised Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. The effects of
fearfulness and frustration appeared to be attenuated by high levels of
effortful control. The associations differed between the two domains of
mental health investigated: effortful control reduced the effect of
fearfulness on internalizing problems and the effect of frustration on
externalizing problems. The effects were stronger for externalizing
problems and similar for preadolescent (age 11) and adolescent (age
13/14) outcomes.This research is part
of the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS).
Participating centers of TRAILS include various Departments of the
University of Groningen, Erasmus Medical Center of Rotterdam, University
of Nijmegen, Trimbos Institute, and University of Utrecht, The
Netherlands. TRAILS is financially supported by grants from The
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (GB-MW 940-38-011, GB-MAG
480-01-006, ZonMw 100.001.001, and NWO 175.010.2003.005) and the
Department of Justice (WODC), and by the participating
centers.