Association between profiles of psychopathy and externalizing problems in Chinese children: A longitudinal moderated mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND

Psychopathy is often significantly associated with serious externalizing problems, and childhood is a critical period in the development of psychopathy. However, the associations between profiles of psychopathy and children's externalizing problems remain unclear.

METHODS

A total of 2141 Chinese children from a mid-sized city in South China participated in assessments at three time points, using six-month assessment intervals. Latent profile analysis and moderated mediation analysis were employed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Three profiles of psychopathy were identified and named as "low psychopathy" (67.79 %), "moderate psychopathy" (26.64 %), and "high psychopathy" (5.57 %). Psychopathy directly predicted externalizing problems, and preference for solitude and mindfulness played significant mediation roles between psychopathy and externalizing problems. Perceived stress significantly moderated the association between psychopathy and mindfulness as well as the association between psychopathy and preference for solitude.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight distinct psychopathy profiles and underscore the roles of preference for solitude, mindfulness, and perceived stress in the association between psychopathy and externalizing problems. Interventions should target these mediators and moderator to mitigate the impact of psychopathy on externalizing problems in children.