Associations of early adversity and negative emotionality with emerging adult latent internalizing

Early adversity (EA) predicts later internalizing, and trait diatheses also play a role in how this risk manifests. However, research is mixed on whether these factors function independently or interactively. Furthermore, recent work questions whether three trait diatheses thought to be distinct—neuroticism, dysfunctional attitudes, and brooding rumination—may be modeled as a single latent negative emotionality factor. The present study tests if brooding rumination and dysfunctional attitudes are better modeled with neuroticism as part of negative emotionality, as opposed to separate constructs, and whether negative emotionality and EA interact to predict latent internalizing or operate independently. 768 emerging adults (71.1% minoritized race/ethnicity) completed self-report surveys for this study. Latent moderated structural equation models were conducted to test associations between EA, trait diatheses, and internalizing. Brooding rumination and dysfunctional attitudes were best modeled as latent factors separate from—but highly correlated with—latent neuroticism. Latent trait diatheses and EA did not significantly interact to predict internalizing symptoms; however, there were significant main effects of latent brooding rumination and neuroticism. Although EA and dysfunctional attitudes had significant associations with internalizing when examined alone, their effects were negligible once neuroticism and brooding rumination were included in models. Our findings suggest neuroticism most strongly confers risk for internalizing, which may help to inform preventive intervention efforts. •Emerging adults (N = 768) reported on trait risks, early adversity, and internalizing.•The three trait risks best fit as their own latent constructs.•Early adversity was associated with internalizing before adding traits to models.•Early adversity did not interact with traits in latent variable interaction models.•Results provide partial support for additive diathesis-stress models.