The Tripartite Model in Childhood and Adolescence: Future Directions for Developmental Research

The tripartite model proposed by L. A. Clark and D. Watson (1991) describes the common and unique features of anxiety and depression by delineating their relation with the dimensions of negative affect, positive affect, and physiological hyperarousal. Although this model was initially developed for adults, researchers have been increasingly interested in its applicability to a younger age range. However, several problems have hindered meaningful systematic research and forestalled conclusions regarding the validity of the model in childhood and adolescence. This article provides a review of these difficulties, along with a number of recommendations for future research, in order to enhance a firm understanding of the development of the tripartite dimensions, their interrelations, and their relations to anxiety, depression, and other Axis I disorders across the life span.

[1]  D. Hope,et al.  A review of the tripartite model for understanding the link between anxiety and depression in youth. , 2008, Clinical psychology review.

[2]  J. Rosmalen,et al.  Testing the tripartite model in young adolescents: is hyperarousal specific for anxiety and not depression? , 2007, Journal of affective disorders.

[3]  T. Kashdan.  Social anxiety spectrum and diminished positive experiences: theoretical synthesis and meta-analysis. , 2007, Clinical psychology review.

[4]  I. Mervielde,et al.  The structure of maladaptive personality traits in childhood: a step toward an integrative developmental perspective for DSM-V. , 2006, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[5]  L. Clark.  Temperament as a unifying basis for personality and psychopathology. , 2005, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[6]  C. Patrick,et al.  Externalizing psychopathology in adulthood: a dimensional-spectrum conceptualization and its implications for DSM-V. , 2005, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[7]  S. J. Catanzaro,et al.  Development and preliminary validation of the physiological hyperarousal scale for children. , 2004, Psychological assessment.

[8]  E. Mash,et al.  A Test of the Tripartite Model of Anxiety and Depression in Elementary and High School Boys and Girls , 2004, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[9]  P. Barrett,et al.  Does age play a role in the structure of anxiety and depression in children and youths? An investigation of the tripartite model in three age cohorts. , 2003, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[10]  B. Chorpita,et al.  Tripartite dimensions of emotion in a child clinical sample: measurement strategies and implications for clinical utility. , 2002, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[11]  B. Chorpita.  The Tripartite Model and Dimensions of Anxiety and Depression: An Examination of Structure in a Large School Sample , 2002, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[12]  J. Laurent,et al.  An Examination of the Tripartite Model of Anxiety and Depression and Its Application to Youth , 2001, Clinical child and family psychology review.

[13]  T. Joiner,et al.  Tripartite Model of Depression and Anxiety in Youth Psychiatric Inpatients: Relations With Diagnostic Status and Future Symptoms , 2000, Journal of clinical child psychology.

[14]  Chorpita Bf,et al.  Relations of tripartite dimensions of emotion to childhood anxiety and mood disorders. , 2000 .

[15]  B. Chorpita,et al.  Assessment of Tripartite Factors of Emotion in Children and Adolescents I: Structural Validity and Normative Data of an Affect and Arousal Scale , 2000 .

[16]  Thomas E. Joiner,et al.  A measure of positive and negative affect for children: Scale development and preliminary validation. , 1999 .

[17]  C. Lonigan,et al.  Positive and negative affectivity in children: confirmatory factor analysis of a two-factor model and its relation to symptoms of anxiety and depression. , 1999, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[18]  K. Crook,et al.  Anxiety and Depression in Children: A Preliminary Examination of the Utility of the PANAS-C , 1998 .

[19]  S. Moss,et al.  The Youth Version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule: A Psychometric Validation , 1998, Behaviour Change.

[20]  T. Ollendick,et al.  Comorbidity of Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents: An Integrative Review , 1998, Clinical child and family psychology review.

[21]  Roy J. Eidelson,et al.  Why are depression and anxiety correlated? A test of the tripartite model. , 1998, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[22]  T. Brown,et al.  Structural relationships among dimensions of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders and dimensions of negative affect, positive affect, and autonomic arousal. , 1998, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[23]  D. Barlow,et al.  The structure of negative emotions in a clinical sample of children and adolescents. , 1998, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[24]  D. Watson,et al.  Measurement and mismeasurement of mood: recurrent and emergent issues. , 1997, Journal of personality assessment.

[25]  D. Cole,et al.  Relation between symptoms of anxiety and depression in children: a multitrait-multimethod-multigroup assessment. , 1997, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[26]  D L Newman,et al.  Behavioral observations at age 3 years predict adult psychiatric disorders. Longitudinal evidence from a birth cohort. , 1996, Archives of general psychiatry.

[27]  T. Joiner.  A confirmatory factor-analytic investigation of the tripartite model of depression and anxiety in college students , 1996, Cognitive Therapy and Research.

[28]  S. J. Catanzaro,et al.  Tripartite structure of positive and negative affect, depression, and anxiety in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients. , 1996, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[29]  S. Swedo,et al.  Current knowledge of medications for the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. , 1995, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[30]  W. E. Craighead,et al.  Relationship of Children's Depression Inventory factors to major depression among adolescents. , 1995 .

[31]  R A McCormick,et al.  Testing a tripartite model: II. Exploring the symptom structure of anxiety and depression in student, adult, and patient samples. , 1995, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[32]  R A McCormick,et al.  Testing a tripartite model: I. Evaluating the convergent and discriminant validity of anxiety and depression symptom scales. , 1995, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[33]  M. Carey,et al.  Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: negative affectivity and the utility of self-reports. , 1994, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[34]  K. Rudolph,et al.  Interpersonal functioning and depressive symptoms in childhood: Addressing the issues of specificity and comorbidity , 1994, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[35]  A. Meyers,et al.  Assessment of childhood depression, anxiety, and aggression: convergent and discriminant validity of self-, parent-, teacher-, and peer-report measures. , 1994, Journal of personality assessment.

[36]  P. Kendall,et al.  Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. , 1992, Psychological bulletin.

[37]  D. Watson,et al.  Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications. , 1991, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[38]  G. Bernstein,et al.  Anxiety disorders of childhood and adolescence: a critical review. , 1991, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[39]  W. E. Craighead,et al.  Cognitive factors and classification issues in adolescent depression , 1991, Journal of youth and adolescence.

[40]  K. Hodges,et al.  Relationship of Children's depression inventory factors to diagnosed depression , 1990 .

[41]  N. Roberts,et al.  The Relationship Between Anxiety and Depression in Children: Rating Scales and Clinical Variables* , 1987, Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie.

[42]  B. Chorpita,et al.  Assessment of Tripartite Factors of Emotion in Children and Adolescents II: Concurrent Validity of the Affect and Arousal Scales for Children , 2000 .

[43]  S. Mineka,et al.  Comorbidity of anxiety and unipolar mood disorders. , 1998, Annual review of psychology.

[44]  D. Watson,et al.  Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: challenges to the current system and future directions. , 1995, Annual review of psychology.