ArticleAcademic pediatrics2026
The Role of Harsh Discipline in Early Childhood Trajectories of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms.
Article in Academic pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
objectiveLittle is known about patterns of anxiety and depressive symptoms (ADS) beginning in infancy, particularly in the United States. It is also unclear how early harsh discipline predicts these symptoms over time. We aimed to describe longitudinal patterns of ADS from 18 months through 6 years of age and examine whether those patterns are associated with harsh discipline at 18 months.
methodsWe performed a secondary analysis of parent-child dyads in a study focused on early relational health and school readiness in low-income families in the United States. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify distinct patterns of ADS between 18 months and 6 years. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between harsh discipline (total, physical, and verbal) and trajectory group membership.
resultsWe identified 3 ADS trajectories as follows: low (29%), moderate (61%), and high (10%). Children who experienced more total harsh discipline were at greater risk of belonging to the moderate (relative risk ratio (RRR), 1.98; 95% CI, 1.19-3.32) and high groups (RRR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.32-5.77) than the low group. After disaggregating harsh discipline into physical and verbal components and controlling for each other, harsh verbal discipline alone significantly predicted membership in the moderate group only (RRR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.10-2.38).
conclusionsApproximately 10% of the sample developed persistent ADS starting in infancy with harsh discipline as a risk factor. Findings underscore the importance of addressing harsh discipline in early anticipatory guidance.
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