Unpacking p-factor. Maladaptive personality traits and general psychopathology in adolescence.

Introduction. The simultaneous maturation of physical, psychological, and neural dimensions makes adolescents vulnerable to the onset of frank psychopathology or to sub-threshold conditions that anticipate the exacerbation of later psychopathology. The literature has highlighted the importance of identifying indicators of psychopathology in adolescence to structure early interventions. In this scenario, research suggested that a latent factor of psychopathology (p-factor) might account for the variability of psychopathology presentations that traditional models do not capture. In addition, recent models suggested considering the association of maladaptive personality with general psychopathology. However, the literature on the association between maladaptive personality and the p-factor is still scarce. Methods. Two cross-sectional data collections were included. In Study 1, 974 cisgender adolescents (63% assigned females at birth; age range: 13 - 19; Mage = 16.68, SD = 1.40) reported on internalizing and externalizing problems (YSR) to test via structural equation models (SEM), different theoretical models for general adolescent psychopathology (p-factor). In Study 2, 725 cisgender adolescents (64.5% assigned females at birth; age range: 13-19; Mage = 16.22, SD = 1.32) reported internalizing and externalizing problems (YSR), borderline personality traits (BPFSC-11), and narcissistic personality traits (PNI), to explore, via SEM, the associations between borderline and narcissistic traits with psychopathology and to account for gender differences in these associations. Results. In Study 1, data showed that the bi-factor model was useful compared to a correlated-factors-only model, enhancing the understanding of some aspects of externalization and internalization. In Study 2, only borderline traits and narcissistic grandiosity were associated with general psychopathology. However, no associations of maladaptive personality with p emerged in males. Conclusions. Our study adds to the literature on the p-factor, suggesting that accounting for the general liability to psychopathology is useful in adolescence. Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of examining the unique associations between maladaptive personality traits and externalization and internalization. Implications for clinical assessment and intervention are discussed.