Anxiety In Preschoolers Research Articles

Prevention and Reduction of Anxiety in Autistic Preschoolers Through an Autism-Specific Parent-Mediated Intervention: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Evaluating Short and Longer Term Outcomes.

Anxiety is a common co-occurring condition for autistic preschoolers. Whilst there has been extensive research evaluating anxiety prevention/reduction interventions for neurotypical preschoolers, such research is limited for autistic children. Fifty-seven parents of autistic 4-5-year olds, with varying levels of anxiety, participated in a randomised controlled trial of an autism-specific, parent-mediated intervention (CLK-CUES) to prevent or reduce anxiety in autistic preschoolers. Baseline, short-term (post-intervention) and longer term (12 months follow-up) assessments included child anxiety (ASC-ASD-P and PAS-R), intolerance of uncertainty, and parent well-being. (Trial registration ACTRN12620001322921). There were no reports of harmful effects of the intervention or trial. Linear mixed models show a significant group x time interaction for ASC-ASD-P Total score and the Uncertainty subscale with medium and large effect sizes. Post-hoc analyses show a significant decline for only the intervention group in anxiety (specifically, anxiety around uncertainty) from pre-post intervention, maintained at one year follow-up. There was no change on the PAS-R or other ASC-ASD-P subscales. CLK-CUES shows promise as a way to prevent and reduce anxiety in young autistic children, specifically anxiety related to uncertainty. Trials with larger samples are warranted. Findings also highlight the importance of using measures designed for autistic children.

Is autonomic functioning distinctly associated with anxiety and unsociability in preschoolers?

There are many benefits of peer interactions for children's social, emotional, and cognitive development, and isolation from peers may have negative consequences for children. Although biological processes may underlie social withdrawal broadly, distinct patterns may be associated with withdrawal behaviors depending on their underlying motivation (e.g., shy versus disinterested). This study investigated the role of autonomic nervous system activity, as assessed via skin conductance level (SCL) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in predicting changes in unsociability (e.g., lack of interest in peers) and anxious-fearfulness (e.g., discomfort among peers). Data were collected using a community sample of 92 US preschool children (45.7% female; Mage = 45.51 months, SDage = 3.81 months) at two time points one year apart. Gender differences were also explored. Baseline physiology was assessed while viewing a neutral video clip, and reactivity was assessed while viewing social exclusion and post-aggression discussion videos. For all children, coinhibition (i.e., SCL inhibition accompanied by RSA inhibition) to the post-aggression discussion video and blunted SCL activation to the exclusion video were prospectively associated with higher levels of anxious-fearfulness one year later. For boys only, baseline reciprocal sympathetic activation (i.e., SCL activation and RSA inhibition) was prospectively related to higher levels of unsociability one year later. For girls only, RSA inhibition in response to the post-aggression discussion video was prospectively related to higher levels of unsociability one year later. Findings contribute to a growing literature on autonomic reactivity in preschoolers' adjustment and suggest possible differences in the physiological processes underlying unsociability and anxious-fearfulness.

Relationship between bedtime, nighttime sleep duration, and anxiety symptoms in preschoolers in China.

Sleep problems in preschoolers are becoming increasingly prominent, and the association between sleep status and anxiety symptoms has attracted growing attention. However, studies investigating the relationship between bedtime and nighttime sleep duration in preschoolers and their anxiety symptoms remain scant. We used the large sample data from the Longhua Cohort Study of Children in Shenzhen, China (LCCS) to analyze the association between bedtime and sleep in preschoolers and their anxiety symptoms. A cross-sectional study of 69,138 preschoolers in Longhua District, Shenzhen, China was conducted in 2022. Data on sociodemographic characteristics of families, bedtime, nighttime sleep duration of preschoolers, and their anxiety symptoms (measured by the Spence Preschool Children Anxiety Scale) were collected through a structured questionnaire completed by the parents. Using binary logistic regression models, the relationship between bedtime, nighttime sleep duration, and childhood anxiety symptoms was examined. The bedtimes of preschoolers were concentrated between 21:01-22:00 (52.41%). Among the preschoolers, 38.70% had bedtimes later than 22:00, and 75.49% had insufficient nighttime sleep duration. The positive screening rate for anxiety symptoms among preschoolers was 3.50%. After adjusting for confounding factors using binary logistic regression models, compared with preschoolers with bedtime ≤21:00, The OR (95%CI) values of anxiety in preschoolers with bedtime ≥23:01, 22:01-23:00 and 21:01-22:00 were 2.86 (2.21-3.69), 1.51 (1.27-1.79) and 1.48 (1.26-1.76), respectively. Compared with those with sufficient nighttime sleep duration, the OR (95%CI) of children with nighttime sleep duration less than 9 h was 1.36 (1.23-1.51). An association exists between bedtime and nighttime sleep duration in preschoolers and their anxiety symptoms. Preschoolers with 21:00 for bedtime and a nighttime sleep duration of 10 h may have lower anxiety symptoms. These findings support the importance of adequate sleep for preventing anxiety symptoms in children.

Preschoolers and anxiety: The effect of parental characteristics.

Anxiety is a common phenomenon among children that can lead to adverse developmental outcomes. A challenging parent-child relationship and its characteristics may negatively impact the development of a child's internalizing problems. However, theoretical models on children's anxiety have not fully emphasized the contribution of parenting and environmental factors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the possible correlations between parenting styles and other parental characteristics with children's anxiety. The sample consisted of 443 parents of preschool children who completed the Parenting Styles and Dimension Questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5. The univariate analysis included differences between demographic groups, assessed with independent sample t-tests. Associations between demographic evidence and child anxiety were estimated using χ2 tests. Binomial logistic regression analysis assessed the most important parenting characteristics contributing to a child's anxiety. A total of 24.6% of the children had borderline or clinical symptoms of anxiety. Parents whose children were anxious were more permissive than parents of nonanxious children (p < 0.001). Mothers were more authoritative compared to fathers. In addition, permissive parenting style increased the probability of a child's anxiety and maternal permissive style emerged as a significant predictor of anxiety in preschoolers (p < 0.003). This study revealed that the permissive parenting style is associated with anxiety in preschool children. Furthermore, the maternal permissive style was identified as a predictor of anxiety. Future research may address its causal effect on anxiety and other behavioral problems, focusing on multiple perspective relationships and cultural dimensions.

Leveraging IoT to Address Separation Anxiety in Preschoolers: A Techno-Psychological Approach

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent psychological disorder among preschoolers, characterized by excessive fear or anxiety related to separation from a primary attachment figure. The COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated the problem due to the transition to online schooling. While some attention has been given to treating SAD, most current solutions are non-technical and based on behavior analytic research which can be costly and time-consuming. Mediated social touch, which uses technology to simulate physical touch and deliver it remotely, has been extensively studied for its potential to promote wellbeing, enhance social connectedness, and improve affective experiences in various contexts. However, no research has focused on the use of such technology to manage SAD in preschoolers. To address this gap, this work presents the design, development, and evaluation of a novel mediated social touch system aimed at managing separation anxiety in preschoolers. Specifically, the study investigates the effectiveness of using IoT in huggable interfaces and game-based applications in improving children’s emotional state and adaptation to the kindergarten environment. Through experiments conducted on a sample of nearly 30 preschoolers, the results have shown that the system is effective in helping preschoolers adapt to kindergarten, with the best results achieved when using the huggable interface and the developed game together. The implications of this study may be beneficial to parents, educators, and mental health professionals who work with preschoolers who experience SAD.

Pengaruh Video Kartun dan Video Animasi terhadap Tingkat Kecemasan Anak Usia Prasekolah (3-6 Tahun) yang Menjalani Hospitalisasi di RS PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

This study aimed to determine the effect of cartoon videos and animated videos on the anxiety level of preschool-aged children undergoing hospitalization at PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Hospital. The research method applied a quasi experimental design in the form of a non-equivalent control group design. The sampling technique was purposive sampling with 30 samples divided into 2 groups. Analysis of the data used the Wilcoxon and Mann Whitney test with a questionnaire measuring anxiety in preschoolers. The results of the study with a p value of 0,000 (p &lt;0,05) which means that there is an effect of cartoon videos and animated videos on the level of anxiety of preschool-aged children undergoing hospitalization at PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Hospital.

Negative affect and respiratory sinus arrhythmia are differentially related to social anxiety and autism features in autistic preschoolers contrasted to fragile X syndrome.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous and complex disorder with co-occurring disorders commonplace. This presents tremendous diagnostic challenges given the phenotypic overlap between autism and other diagnoses, including social anxiety, as well as variance in specific genetic disorders like fragile X syndrome (FXS). Biobehavioral measurement approaches integrate behavioral and biological data, and by so doing have the potential to address diagnostic challenges and shed light on the mechanisms underlying social impairments. The present study utilized a biobehavioral approach to evaluate how biologically based indices of baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and temperamental negative affect differ and predict autism and anxiety in a sample of 120 preschoolers with non-syndromic autism (nsASD) with co-occurring intellectual impairment, FXS, and neurotypical (NT) development. Results indicated that children with nsASD display elevated negative affect compared to both FXS and NT controls which did not differ from each other and females exhibited more negative affect relative to males. Interestingly, elevated negative affect predicted social anxiety, but not ASD in FXS. Baseline RSA did not differ across the groups; however, reduced RSA predicted elevated autism severity for the nsASD group but not those with FXS or NT development. Taken together, biobehavioral markers differentiated the groups in discrete ways that advance our understanding of autism and promote improved diagnostic clarity using objective measurement.

Developmental Trajectories of Symptom-Specific Anxiety in Chinese Preschoolers: The Role of Maternal Anxious Rearing Behaviors

Although developmental trajectories of anxiety have begun to be explored, most research has focused on total anxiety symptom scores in middle childhood and adolescence. Little is known about the developmental trajectories of specific anxiety symptoms in early childhood. This three-wave longitudinal study investigated (1) the developmental trajectories of four specific anxiety symptoms (separation anxiety, special fear, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety) during early childhood, and (2) the association between maternal anxious rearing behaviors and these four specific anxiety symptoms concurrently and over time. Mothers of 105 Chinese children completed the Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS) and the “Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran” for parents (EMBU-P) to report their child’s anxiety symptoms and their own anxious rearing behaviors when their child was 2–4, 3–5, and 6–7 years old. The results of latent growth curve modelling (LGCM) showed that participating children exhibited a slight linear decrease in special fear and social anxiety across three time points, whereas the trajectories of separation anxiety and generalized anxiety remained stable. Maternal anxious rearing behaviors were significant and positively related to children’s separation anxiety at T3 and specific fear at T1 and T2 but unrelated to social anxiety and generalized anxiety at any time points. These findings help us better understand how various types of anxiety problems develop in early life and isolate the risk factors (e.g., maternal anxious rearing behaviors) contributing to the emergence and continuity of anxiety problems as early as possible.

Targeting cognitive control to reduce anxiety in very young children: A proof of concept study.

Underdeveloped cognitive control (CC)-the capacity to flexibly adjust to changing environments-may predispose some children to early onset anxiety disorders and represents a promising intervention target. The current study established and pilot-tested "Camp Kidpower"-a novel group-based, interactive CC training intervention-and assessed its impacts on behavioral and neurophysiological indices of CC among preschool children with elevated anxiety symptoms. Forty-four anxious children (4-6 years) were enrolled in Camp Kidpower, delivered in four sessions over 10 days. Before and after camp, children's capacity for CC was measured using well-validated, non-trained behavioral tasks and error-related negativity (ERN). Child anxiety symptoms were measured by parent report on the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale. Thirty-two children completed the study, as defined by completion of pre- and follow-up assessments and at least three camp sessions. From baseline to after camp, performance on behavioral tests of CC improved, ERN amplitude increased, and anxiety symptoms decreased. Results provide initial evidence that play-based cognitive training targeted to behavioral and brain markers of CC reduces anxiety in preschoolers.

Storytelling Using Picture Books Reduces Anxiety in Hospitalized Preschool Children

Introduction: Anxiety is still one of the problems often experienced by preschool-aged children who are hospitalized. One effort that can be done by nurses is to tell stories used a picture book.&#x0D; Objective: This study was to determine the effect of storytelling using picture books on the level of anxiety in preschool-aged children undergoing hospitalizatized.&#x0D; Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pre-post test design study. The population of this research was preschool children who experience hospitalization. The sample used a purposive sampling technique of 20 respondents. Anxiety research instrument used a standardized questionnaire from the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale. Data analysis used marginal homogeneity.&#x0D; Results: This study described the level of anxiety before the intervention was moderate anxiety by 15 respondents (75%) and the level of anxiety after the intervention showed no anxiety as many as 19 respondents (95%). Bivariate analysis showed that the value of p = 0,000.&#x0D; Conclusion: There was an effect of storytelling using picture books on the level of anxiety in pre-school-aged children who have been hospitalized. This can be a recommendation for storytelling using picture books as an alternative to distraction and atraumatic care in reducing anxiety in preschoolers.

Effect of Puppet Play Therapy on Anxiety in Preschoolers with Thalassemia at the Thalassemia Polyclinic at Al-Ihsan Baleendah Hospital, Bandung Regency

Thalassemia is one of the top eight catastrophic diseases. Data from Yayasan Thalasemia Indonesia dan Perhimpunan Orang tua Penderita Thalasemia Indonesia (YTI/POPTI) have shown that in Indonesia the number of cases of this disease increased from 2011 to 2015. Preschool-aged children who experience thalassemia every month are subjected to invasive measures such as blood transfusions. Repeated blood transfusions make children feel threatened and can trigger various responses, one of which is anxiety. Anxiety is an emotional response to something dangerous, closely related to feeling uncertain and helpless. Puppet play therapy can reduce anxiety in children with thalassemia who undergo blood transfusions. This study aims to determine the effect of puppet play therapy on anxiety of preschool children (3-6 years) with thalassemia at the Thalassemia Polyclinic at Al-Ihsan Hospital, Bandung. The design used in this study used a quasi-experimental study with a one group pre-post test design without control approach using the Wilcoxon test. The number of samples in this study were 30 respondents who were taken by total sampling technique. The instrument used refers to the content / research theme developed from the Spence Children Anxiety Scale. The results of the Wilcoxon statistical test obtained a significance figure, namely p = 0.009, thus p &lt;α (0.009 &lt;0.05), then H0 is rejected. It can be concluded that there are differences in the level of anxiety of children with thalassemia before and after being given puppet play therapy.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: puppet play therapy; worry; preschool; Thalassemia

ТРЕВОЖНОСТЬ ДЕТЕЙ ДОШКОЛЬНОГО ВОЗРАСТА В КОНТЕКСТЕ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ГОТОВНОСТИ К ШКОЛЕ

The article is devoted to the study of a child's psychological readiness for school and childhood anxiety. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between anxiety and the psychological readiness of children for school. The article presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of anxiety and readiness for school in preschool children. The article analyzes theoretical approaches to the study of the problem of anxiety in children in foreign and domestic psychological literature. The analysis showed that among elder preschool children, anxiety has not yet a stable character trait and is relatively reversible when appropriate psychological and pedagogical activities are carried out. Considering various approaches to the study of psychological readiness for school (school maturity), the author identifies their common things and differences, and also analyzes the component structure of this construct. The author conducted an empirical study of the intellectual component of psychological readiness for school in children with different levels of anxiety. The empirical study involved 30 preschoolers aged 6 7 years attending MPEI. The analysis of the results of the conducted psychodiagnostic research showed that the overwhelming majority of children (63.4%) have an increased level of anxiety. Most children have fairly well developed verbal intelligence, but non-verbal intelligence is poorly developed. A nonlinear relationship was revealed between the level of anxiety in preschoolers and the intellectual component of psychological readiness for school. The highest level of anxiety is inherent in children with the highest degree of intellectual readiness for school. Thus, there is a non-linear relationship between anxiety and children's intellectual readiness for school.

The effect of play puzzle therapy on anxiety of children on preschooler in Kota Kendari hospital

Anxiety is an internal response that gives danger signals to individuals. An anxiety reaction in preschool children arises from the effect of hospitalization where the child loses control of himself. This study aims to determine the effect of giving play therapy to arrange puzzles for anxiety in preschoolers in the Kendari City childcare room. Quantitative research was done with the design of quasi experiments among preschool children as samples treated in hospitals. The results showed that the level of anxiety of preschoolers experienced a significant decrease after being given puzzle play therapy. The conclusion in this study showed that puzzle play therapy effected anxiety levels in preschoolers.

Building Neural Substrate for Cognitive Control: A Neurally Targeted Intervention for Clinically Anxious Preschoolers

Deficient cognitive control associates with anxiety in early childhood and, thus, represents a logical target for intervention. Thus, a collection of executive function “games” tapping response inhibition, working memory and selective attention were adapted to comprise a novel intervention for anxiety in preschoolers.

Family-Centered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Very Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

To address the paucity of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocols available to treat anxiety in preschoolers with ASD, we piloted a family-centered CBT protocol in a series of 16 children aged 3-7years with ASD and anxiety disorders and explored its feasibility and efficacy. Children were assessed at baseline, post-treatment (PT), and 4-month follow-up (FU) using diagnostic interviews and parent questionnaires. Fourteen children completed at least 10 sessions (mean 14). At PT, 81% were rated "very much-" or "much-improved" on the CGI-Anxiety. Children displayed significant decreases on clinician- and parent-rated anxiety, and improved family function and coping. Gains were maintained at FU. Parent-child CBT is feasible for young children with ASD plus anxiety that shows potential for similar efficacy as with neurotypical children.

Emotional development in preschoolers and socialization

ABSTRACT This work aims to determine the relationship between the emotional development variables and later adaptation in society for preschoolers living in Omdurman, Sudan. The secondary objective is to study the socio-emotional problems the 4-year-old boys and girls coming from families with different structure deal with. The article is based on a study that involved 300 children aged 4–5 years, attending Omdurman twon kindergartens. The children’s emotion knowledge was measured through the Emotion Matching Task and the social competence was measured using the shortened version of the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation scale, introduced by LaFreniere. The research results may be utilized for the creation of emotional development programmes for Sudan kindergartens. These findings allow preventing the development of abnormal behavioural tendencies, which are linked to the emotional intelligence, social adaptation, and anxiety in preschoolers.

PLAYDOUGH TO REDUCE ANXIETY”: Alternative Therapy in Pre-School Children with Hospitality

Hospitalization is an experience that produces every child who has physical and psychological effects as a result of the environment, and officers they do not know. Therefore the effort that can be done by nurses is to provide distraction therapy with playdough. The study aimed to prove the effect of treatment on Playdough play on anxiety in preschoolers because of hospitalization in the Kertawijaya Room Dr. Wahidin Sudiro Husodo Mojokerto. The design of this study uses pre-experiment with one group pretest approach. The population in this study were all preschool children who were in hospital treatment in the first week of October 2018. Samples were 20 children, with consecutive sampling. Playdough therapy for 20 children. Data collection used a mYPAS (Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale) questionnaire. After that, the data processing with Wilcoxon signed test was 0.00 which was &lt;0.05, As for the conclusions in this study there is a therapeutic effect of playing plasticine on children's anxiety with hospitalization. The value of preschool children's anxiety before being given play therapy is the majority of respondents 13 respondents (65%) experienced moderate anxiety and And a small proportion of respondents experienced severe anxiety as many as 5 respondents (25%). The value of anxiety after being given play therapy most of the respondents experienced a decrease in anxiety as many as 12 respondents (60%) experienced mild anxiety and almost half of the respondents were 8 respondents (40%). Stress will stimulate the body to send messages from the hypothalamus to the adrenal gland which will affect vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels that will determine the increase or decrease in blood pressure which is one of the physiological characteristics of the body when experiencing anxiety.

PLAYDOUGH TO REDUCE ANXIETY”: Alternative Therapy in Pre-School Children with Hospitality

Hospitalization is an experience that produces every child who has physical and psychological effects as a result of the environment, and officers they do not know. Therefore the effort that can be done by nurses is to provide distraction therapy with playdough. The study aimed to prove the effect of treatment on Playdough play on anxiety in preschoolers because of hospitalization in the Kertawijaya Room Dr. Wahidin Sudiro Husodo Mojokerto. The design of this study uses pre-experiment with one group pretest approach. The population in this study were all preschool children who were in hospital treatment in the first week of October 2018. Samples were 20 children, with consecutive sampling. Playdough therapy for 20 children. Data collection used a mYPAS (Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale) questionnaire. After that, the data processing with Wilcoxon signed test was 0.00 which was &lt;0.05, As for the conclusions in this study there is a therapeutic effect of playing plasticine on children's anxiety with hospitalization. The value of preschool children's anxiety before being given play therapy is the majority of respondents 13 respondents (65%) experienced moderate anxiety and And a small proportion of respondents experienced severe anxiety as many as 5 respondents (25%). The value of anxiety after being given play therapy most of the respondents experienced a decrease in anxiety as many as 12 respondents (60%) experienced mild anxiety and almost half of the respondents were 8 respondents (40%). Stress will stimulate the body to send messages from the hypothalamus to the adrenal gland which will affect vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels that will determine the increase or decrease in blood pressure which is one of the physiological characteristics of the body when experiencing anxiety.

Возрастно-половые и семейные факторы страхов и тревожности у старших дошкольников

Возрастно-половые и семейные факторы страхов и тревожности у старших дошкольников

Acceptability and caregiver-reported outcomes for young children with autism spectrum disorder whose parents attended a preventative population-based intervention for anxiety: A pilot study.

This pilot study explored acceptability to parents and outcomes for children of a preventive intervention for anxiety problems in pre-schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were an identified sub-group within a population-based randomised trial of the Cool Little Kids parenting group programme. The population trial included 545 temperamentally inhibited pre-schoolers recruited across eight economically diverse areas of Melbourne, Australia. Within this sample, 26 parents reported that their child had received an ASD diagnosis. Trial measures included baseline inhibited temperament and developmental problems, post-intervention feedback on the programme, and caregiver-reported child mental health outcomes (anxiety diagnoses and internalising symptoms) at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Sample retention for the children with ASD over 2 years was strong (92%). At follow-up, fewer intervention than control children with ASD had anxiety disorders after 1 year (% (n): 25 (3) vs. 77 (10), P = .028) and separation anxiety symptoms after 2 years (M (SD): 4.22 (2.68) vs. 9.38 (5.91), P = .017). Similar effects favouring the intervention group were apparent across other child emotional outcome measures but without statistical significance in this small sample. Parents of the children with ASD reported that Cool Little Kids was "quite useful" in relation to their child's anxiety but also gave feedback that they would appreciate some tailoring of programme content to the context of ASD. These pilot findings suggest Cool Little Kids may be helpful for reducing comorbid anxiety in pre-schoolers with ASD. Further research is warranted to develop an ASD-specific adaptation which can be trialled with a larger sample of children with confirmed ASD diagnosis. Trial registration ISRCTN30996662 http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN30996662. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1166-1174. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also have anxiety. This pilot study explored acceptability to parents and outcomes for pre-schoolers with ASD of a parenting group programme to prevent anxiety problems. Among the sample of 26 pre-schoolers with ASD, we found reduced anxiety disorders and separation symptoms when their parents had received the intervention, as reported by caregivers in checklists and clinical interviews. Parents gave feedback that the programme was useful but suggested content be adapted to the context of ASD.