Hyperactive Behaviors from Childhood to Adolescence: Prospective Outcomes in a Sample of Spanish Children

The continuity of hyperactivity problems over time has become a major focus of attention for developmental and clinical psychologists. However, research in diverse ethnical and sociocultural contexts is needed so as to identify to what extent the findings are generalizable beyond the settings in which these studies are usually conducted. This work analyzes a) the development of parent-reported hyperactivity from childhood to adolescence in a sample of Spanish children, and b) the implications of hyperactivity in terms of adolescent psychosocial adjustment and personality traits. Longitudinal data collected from a sample of 138 Spanish children over a six-year interval was analyzed. Results show that although hyperactive behaviors tend to decrease as children grow, childhood hyperactive problems are related to relatively high levels of emotional, behavioral and social maladjustment in adolescence; hyperactive behaviors in childhood are also related to high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness in adolescence. This prospective study confirms, in a Mediterranean European context, the impact of hyperactive behaviors not only for the development of behavioral problems but also for the configuration of personality traits.