Editorial: The psychopathology p factor: will it revolutionise the science and practice of child and adolescent psychiatry?

Abstract

The psychopathology p factor has emerged from a series of strong empirical studies, largely in the adult psychiatry literature. Here, some of the recent findings relating to the p factor in children and adolescents are considered and the implications for child and adolescent psychiatry are discussed. Is it essential to covary for ‘p’ when we study specific domains of psychopathology? Do neurodevelopmental conditions make up part of the psychopathology p factor? How do we treat the ‘p factor’ in clinics? This editorial considers some of the contributions from this issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry together with the wider literature that speak to these issues.