Child temperament and caregiver psychological distress have been independently associated with social-emotional difficulties among individuals with autism. However, the interrelationship among these risk factors has rarely been investigated. We explored the reciprocal interplay between child temperament (surgency, negative affectivity, and self-regulation) and caregiver psychological distress in the development of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, in a cohort of 103 infants showing early autism traits. Caregivers completed questionnaires when children were aged around 12-months (Time 1 [T1]), 18-months (Time 2 [T2]), and 24-months (Time 3 [T3]). Cross-lagged path models revealed a significant pathway from T1 caregiver psychological distress through lower T2 child self-regulation to subsequently greater T3 child internalizing symptoms. No such caregiver-driven pathway was evident through T2 child negative affectivity or in the prediction of T3 child externalizing symptoms. Further, no support was found for temperament-driven pathways through caregiver psychological distress to child social-emotional difficulties. Child surgency was mostly unrelated to caregiver psychological distress and social-emotional difficulties. These findings implicate the need to support the mental health of caregivers with an infant with autism traits in order to enhance the emotion regulation and social-emotional development of their infants.

儿童气质和照顾者的心理困扰与自闭症患者的社交情绪困难独立相关。然而，很少研究这些风险因素之间的相互关系。我们在 103 名表现出早期自闭症特征的婴儿队列中，探讨了儿童气质（冲动、消极情感和自我调节）与照顾者心理困扰在儿童内化和外化症状发展过程中的相互作用。当孩子大约 12 个月大（时间 1 [T1]）、18 个月大（时间 2 [T2]）和 24 个月大（时间 3 [T3]）时，看护人完成了问卷调查。交叉滞后路径模型揭示了从 T1 照顾者心理困扰通过较低的 T2 儿童自我调节到随后更大的 T3 儿童内化症状的重要途径。通过 T2 儿童负面情感或 T3 儿童外化症状的预测，没有这种照顾者驱动的途径是明显的。此外，没有发现支持通过照顾者心理困扰到儿童社交情绪困难的气质驱动途径。儿童急诊大多与照顾者的心理困扰和社交情绪困难无关。这些发现表明，需要支持有自闭症特征婴儿的看护人的心理健康，以增强婴儿的情绪调节和社交情绪发展。没有发现支持通过照顾者心理困扰到儿童社交情绪困难的气质驱动途径。儿童急诊大多与照顾者的心理困扰和社交情绪困难无关。这些发现表明，需要支持有自闭症特征婴儿的看护人的心理健康，以增强婴儿的情绪调节和社交情绪发展。没有发现支持通过照顾者心理困扰到儿童社交情绪困难的气质驱动途径。儿童急诊大多与照顾者的心理困扰和社交情绪困难无关。这些发现表明，需要支持有自闭症特征婴儿的看护人的心理健康，以增强婴儿的情绪调节和社交情绪发展。