Anxious Self-Statements in Clinic-Referred U.S. and Norwegian Anxiety-Disordered Youth

Abstract

Examined the relationship between negative self-statements and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity and functional impairment in two studies of anxiety-disordered youth. Study 1 included 144 anxiety-disordered youth (7–13 years; 54.9 % male) from a university-based research clinic in the USA. Study 2 included 111 treatment-seeking youth (7–13 years; 58.6 % male) from Norwegian community clinics. Results from both studies indicated that total negative self-statements were associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression as per child-report. Content specific associations were observed for child-reported symptoms of anxiety but not depression. Associations between child-reported negative self-statements and mother-reported symptoms were mixed. In Study 1, total negative and anxious self-statements were associated with greater functional impairment. The role of negative self-statements in youth’s internalizing symptomatology and the clinical implications are discussed.