Using a Person-Centered Methodology to Investigate the Co-Occurrence between Psychopathological Problems

The present paper proposes that Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) can be used for the identification of different groups of individuals exhibiting normative, pure or combined psychopathological problems. More specifically, LCGA allows for the identification of different subgroups of individuals who show homogeneous developmental trajectories of the behaviors under investigation, and provides the capacity for the joint estimation of trajectory models across the entire period of observation. LCGA can also aid in the identification of (1) possible factors that might place individuals at higher risk for exhibiting pure or combined psychopathology, and (2) developmental outcomes that might be related to higher risk groups of individuals. Studies using the LCGA method can offer a more comprehensive view of co-occurrence when compared to studies investigating point by point change or average trajectories of change over time. Findings on co-occurrence have the power to provide information on the validity of classification systems, etiological theories, and treatment.