Preschool children who struggle to control their emotions and behaviour have more symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—known as ADHD—at age seven, a study suggests.

Children aged between three and seven who are slower at acquiring skills to manage their intense emotions were also found to be at risk of displaying more conduct issues. They were also more likely to show internalising behaviours, such as sadness and worries, at age seven, experts say.

The study, led by the University of Edinburgh, is among the first to examine the links between early patterns of emotion regulation and school-age mental health. The study is published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

The findings could help tailor targeted support for children who may benefit from enhanced preventative care before mental health issues emerge, researchers say.

Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh, Northumbria and Oxford analysed a large dataset to test whether the progression of emotional development among children aged three to seven is related to the risk of common mental health issues.

Childhood mental health

They examined data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study which follows the lives of around 19,000 young people born in 2000–2002.

The researchers analysed questionnaires and interviews which surveyed parents on their children's conduct, social behaviours, and emotional regulation skills.

They used statistical techniques to measure the link between emotional problems, conduct problems and ADHD symptoms at age seven.

Findings showed that a tendency to have extreme emotional responses and slower development in the ability to regulate those emotions was significantly associated with ADHD symptoms, internalising symptoms, and conduct problems in both male and female children at age seven.

This was the case even when other factors such as data on any pre-existing neurodevelopmental and mental health issues were taken into account.

"Emotion regulation skills are acquired from early in life and are thought to strengthen gradually over childhood. Children, however, acquire these skills at different rates and slower acquisition may serve as a marker for neurodevelopmental and mental health issues. Our findings suggest that monitoring trajectories of emotion regulation over development could help identity which children are at risk of mental health issues," says Dr Aja Murray, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences.

More information: Aja Louise Murray et al, Early emotion regulation developmental trajectories and ADHD, internalising, and conduct problems symptoms in childhood, Development and Psychopathology (2024). DOI: 10.1017/S0954579424001263

Provided by the University of Edinburgh

--University of Edinburgh