Anxiety Symptoms In Children Research Articles

Parental responses to child pain : The role of parental and child somatic and anxiety symptoms

HintergrundElterliche kognitiv-affektive und verhaltensbezogene Reaktionen können die Chronifizierung von kindlichen Schmerzen beeinflussen. Unklar ist, ob Mütter und Väter unterschiedlich reagieren und inwieweit Top-down- (elterliche Somatisierung, Angstsymptome) und Bottom-up-Variablen (kindliche schmerzbezogene Beeinträchtigung, Angstsymptome) die elterlichen Reaktionen modulieren.Ziele der Arbeit(1) Vergleich der Somatisierung, Angstsymptome und elterlichen Reaktionen (Katastrophisieren, Zuwendung) von Müttern und Vätern chronisch schmerzkranker Kinder und (2) Untersuchung des Einflusses von Top-down- und Bottom-up-Variablen auf die elterlichen Reaktionen.MethodeEltern-Kind-Triaden (Kind, Mutter, Vater; je N = 21, Gesamt‑N = 63; Kinder: 50 % weiblich, 11–19 Jahre, ∅15,14 Jahre) wurden während einer kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Behandlung ihrer chronischen Schmerzen hinsichtlich der kindlichen Schmerzen und Angstsymptome, elterlicher Somatisierung und Angstsymptome und elterlichen Reaktionen mit validierten Fragebögen erfasst.ErgebnisseMütter und Väter unterschieden sich nicht in Somatisierung, Angstsymptomen und Reaktionen. Eltern katastrophisierten stärker, wenn ihre Kinder sowohl unter Angstsymptomen als auch unter stärkerer schmerzbezogener Beeinträchtigung litten. Elterliche Zuwendung war verstärkt, wenn Eltern selbst Angstsymptome angaben. Jüngere Kinder und Mädchen erhielten mehr Zuwendung.DiskussionIm Einklang mit vorherigen Studien zeigt sich, dass elterliche und kindliche Angstsymptome, nicht aber das elterliche Geschlecht als modulierende Faktoren der elterlichen maladaptiven Reaktionen eine Rolle spielen. Dies sollte in Prävention und Therapie von Kindern mit chronischen Schmerzen und deren Bezugspersonen berücksichtigt werden.

Patterns of internalizing symptoms and disability functioning in children and adolescents.

Despite findings from previous studies, there is still little consistent knowledge regarding the co-occurrence patterns of somatic, depressive and anxiety symptoms in childhood and adolescence. Moreover, functional disability due to somatic symptoms at different concomitant levels of depression and anxiety is understudied. The present study examined the co-occurrence patterns of somatic symptoms and symptoms of depression and anxiety, in children and adolescents using two-step cluster analysis. Differences in functional disability due to somatic symptoms were tested with ANCOVA controlling for gender and age. The sample comprised 1127 Italian children and adolescents (48.7% males, n = 549) aged 8-16years (Mage = 11.7, SD = 2.37). Data were collected using the Children Somatization Inventory-24, the Children Depression Inventory, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, and the Functional Disability Inventory. A four-cluster solution based on the co-occurrence of internalizing symptoms best fit the data. The four clusters were labelled as follows: cluster 1: "High somatic symptoms and average depression/anxiety"; cluster 2: "High somatic symptoms and high depression/anxiety"; cluster 3: "Average somatic symptoms and above average depression/anxiety"; and cluster 4: "Low somatic symptoms and low depression/anxiety". Significant differences between the four groups according to gender and age were shown. Participants with high levels of somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms reported greater functional disability due to somatic symptoms than the other three groups. Our findings indicate that children and adolescents who demonstrate high symptoms of depression and anxiety also reported higher levels of disability in daily life due to somatic symptoms.

Health anxiety symptoms in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: patient characteristics and effect on treatment outcome.

The aim was to explore the potential clinical role of health anxiety (HA) symptoms in children and adolescents diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The study investigated differences in demographic and various clinical variables between young people with OCD, with and without HA symptoms, and the effect of HA symptoms on overall OCD treatment outcome. The study sample comprised 269 children and adolescents with OCD (aged 7-17years) from the large Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study. OCD symptoms and severity were assessed with The Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), which includes one item regarding HA-like obsessions and one item regarding HA-like compulsions that were used to define the HA group. Several other instruments were used to assess comorbidity and other clinical aspects. All participants were treated with 14 weekly protocolled sessions of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). HA symptoms were present in 31% of participants. Other anxiety symptoms and comorbid anxiety disorders were more prevalent among those with HA symptoms. These patients also presented with significantly more types of OCD symptoms. HA symptoms were reduced following OCD treatment with CBT and having HA symptoms did not affect CBT outcome. Results suggest that pediatric OCD with HA symptoms is characterized by more anxiety symptoms and a more heterogeneous OCD symptom profile. Standardized CBT seems equally effective in treating child and adolescent OCD with or without HA symptoms.Clinical trials registration: Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment Study: www.controlled-trials.com ; ISRCTN66385119.

Parents’ Dispositional Mindfulness, Child Conflict Discussion, and Childhood Internalizing Difficulties: A Preliminary Study

Parental mindfulness predicts more positive and supportive parent-child interactions. However, very few studies have tested this association using independent observations of interactions or considered a link with child outcomes. The aims of the current study were to understand (1) how parental mindfulness relates to independent observation of parent-child conflict resolution discussions and (2) how parental mindfulness and conflict resolution relate to children’s symptoms of anxiety and depression. Fifty-seven parents and their 8–12-year-old children were recruited from both clinical and community settings. Dyads engaged in a conflict discussion task from which content and resolution quality were coded. Parents self-reported on their dispositional mindfulness, and children self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Parents who rated themselves as higher in the acting with awareness facet of dispositional mindfulness were more likely to refer to their child’s positive emotions, make more positive (e.g. “you were great”) and less negative (e.g., “it was awful”) evaluations, and made fewer oppositional statements when resolving conflict. Parents who rated themselves as higher in the non-judging facet of mindfulness used more validation during conflict discussions. Mediation bootstrapping models showed support for an indirect path of acting with awareness and observing mindfulness relating to children’s symptoms of anxiety and depression, through positive evaluations. There was also support for an indirect path of observing and describing mindfulness relating to internalizing symptoms through reduced use of oppositional strategies. Parent dispositional mindfulness was associated with more positive and supportive conflict resolution discussions. The current findings also provide preliminary support for conflict resolution mediating a relationship between parent dispositional mindfulness and child symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Emotional Aspects of Pediatric Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring neurocritical care are at risk for neurocognitive, emotional, physical, and psychosocial difficulties, collectively known as Post-Intensive Care Syndrome. Our study assessed parent-reported emotional functioning and identified risk factors for emotional sequelae in the acute recovery phase. Fifty-three children between 5 and 18years old hospitalized for TBI were assessed 1-month following discharge. Relevant injury-, child-, and family-specific variables were collected. Emotional functioning was assessed using PROMIS Parent Proxy Report Short Forms for Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms. We used Chi-square tests to evaluate differences between children with and without elevations in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression determined predictors of elevations in symptoms among significant variables. Parents frequently endorsed moderate or worse anxiety (45.2%) and depressive (32.1%) symptoms among children. Mechanism of injury and elevated parent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were associated with elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms, while direct family involvement in the accident/injury was associated only with elevated anxiety symptoms. Results from logistic regression indicated that only elevated parent PTSD symptoms were a significant predictor for child anxiety and depressive symptoms. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent in the acute recovery phase of TBI. Consistent with previous research, elevations in anxiety and depressive symptoms were more related to psychosocial factors than injury severity. High levels of parent PTSD symptoms and their relationship with children's internalizing symptoms highlight the need for mental health treatment for TBI patients and their families.

Anxiety symptoms and their frequencies in albanian children: Differences by age, gender and other variables

IntroductionAnxiety symptoms in childhood represent an important risk factor for developing anxiety disorders in subsequent developmental stages. This study examines the frequency and characteristics of the symptoms of the principal anxiety disorders in children and adolescents using a self-report questionnaire based on the diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) manual.ObjectivesOur main aim was to have a bigger view of anxiety symptoms spectrum in Albanian children, their frequencies and diferences related to age, gender or other variables.MethodsA cross-sectional, non-interventional study was conducted on 50 children/adolescents aged 8 to 17 years (45% males), frequenting Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Service, who completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale.ResultsMore than one in four of the children and adolescents showed high scores in any anxiety disorder. The anxiety symptoms due to separation were the most frequent in the sample (5.5%), followed by physical fears. Girls scored significantly higher in all disorders (P < .001), except in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Differences were found as regards to age in all disorders, except physical fears, but the effect sizes were only in anxiety due to separation, which decreased with age, and generalized anxiety, which was higher in adolescents than in children.ConclusionsThis study puts emphasizes to the early detection of anxiety symptoms in children, in order to provide the early and effective intervention and prevent the development of anxiety disorders in later life.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Changes in Anxiety Control Beliefs Following a Brief CBT Treatment and Their Association With Anxiety Symptom Reduction

Anxiety control beliefs (i.e., beliefs regarding one’s ability to cope with external, fear-inducing threats and internal reactions to those perceived threats) have been found to negatively predict anxiety symptoms in children and adults and to be modifiable by cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. The current study examines whether changes in anxiety control beliefs were seen following a brief, intensive treatment for specific phobias, and whether those changes were associated with improvements in the targeted phobia and comorbid anxiety disorder symptoms. Participants were 135 children and adolescents (M age = 9.01 years, 49% male) who received one-session treatment (OST) with or without parental involvement for their primary specific phobia. Results indicated that self-reported anxiety control beliefs significantly increased following treatment and that these increases significantly predicted reductions in specific phobia severity and symptoms of comorbid anxiety disorders 6 months and 1 year following treatment. Findings illustrate that involvement in a single 3-hour OST was associated with changes in anxiety control beliefs and demonstrate the potential importance of targeting control beliefs in pediatric anxiety treatment.

The Effectiveness of a Coping Cat Program on Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders in Primary Schools

Background: Anxiety disorders are the most common disorders in children that affect the psychological and social functioning of the child. Recently, researchers have used the coping cat programs as a way to reduce anxiety disorders. Therefore the current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a coping cat program on symptoms of anxiety disorders in primary schools. Materials and Method: This study was performed in a pre-test, post-test compared to the control group. The statistical population included all children aged 8 to 11 years with anxiety disorders in five state primary schools in the second district of Bandar Abbas, Iran in 2019. The sampling using a questionnaire (SCAS), 32 children with anxiety disorders were selected from schools and randomly divided into control (n=16), and experimental (n=16) groups. Members of the experimental group were (CCP) training intervention for 16 sessions, twice a week for 45-minute. The control group did not receive any intervention. The anxiety was assessed one week after intervention by The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in the control and experimental groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23. Results: The experimental and control groups were homogeneous before intervention. The mean anxiety in the intervention group after the coping cat program including the Separation anxiety disorder (‎3.56±2.09)‎, Panic disorder (‎‎2.12±2.15), Obsessive-compulsive (3.81±2.007)‏‎, physical injury fears (4.06±3.08‏‎) was significantly lower than that in the control group (9.81±3.54), (7±3.07), (9.43±3.28) and (7.37±3.36) respectively (P <0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that (CCP) in 16 sessions by recognizing the symptoms of unwanted anxiety in children and using these symptoms to apply anxiety management strategies leads to a reduction of anxiety disorders in children.

Parent and Child Mental Health Symptom Trajectories April-October 2020: Second-Wave Strict Lockdown Compared to COVID-Normal in Australia

Background: To control a second-wave COVID-19 outbreak, the state of Victoria in Australia experienced one of the world’s first long and strict lockdowns over July-October 2020, while the rest of Australia experienced ‘COVID-normal’ with minimal restrictions. We (1) investigate trajectories of parent/child mental health outcomes; and (2) identify baseline demographic, individual, and COVID-19-related factors associated with mental health trajectories. Methods: Online community sample of 1,877 Australian parents with rapid repeated assessment over 10 time-points over April-October, 2020. Measures assessed parent mental health (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21); child depression symptoms (13-item Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire); and child anxiety symptoms (four-items from Brief Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale). Results: Mental health trajectories shadowed COVID infection rates. Victorians reported a large peak in mental health symptoms at the time of the second-wave lockdown compared to other states. Key baseline predictors, including parent and child loneliness (standardised regression coefficient [β]=·09-·39), parent/child diagnoses (β=·11-·22), couple conflict (β=·09-·19), and COVID-19 stressors, such as worry/concern about COVID, illness, and loss of job (β=·07-·22), predicted elevated trajectories. Effects of predictors on parent and child mental health trajectories are illustrated in an online interactive app for readers (https://lingtax.shinyapps.io/CPAS_trend/). Conclusion and Relevance: Our findings provide evidence of worse trajectories of parent and child mental health symptoms associated with strict, sustained, COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria, compared to non-locked states in the rest of Australia. We identified several baseline factors that may be useful in detecting high risk families who are likely to require additional support early on in future lockdowns. Funding Statement: EW, AMW, & GK were supported by Deakin Faculty of Health Mid-Career Fellowships. ES was supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (1110688) and a veski Inspiring Women’s Fellowship. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This study uses data from ten time-points of the COVID-19 Pandemic Adjustment Survey (CPAS),22 an online community sample of 2,365 Australian parents of a child 0-18 years, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Australian families. CPAS was approved by the Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group (HEAG-H 52_2020). Participants were recruited via paid and unpaid social media advertisements over 8-28th April, 2020, during the first-wave national lockdown in Australia, and were followed over ten time-points until the 5th October 2020.

Left-behind children's social adjustment and relationship with parental coping with children's negative emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Using data collected from two provinces in China through an online survey, the current study aimed to investigate left‐behind children's emotional and academic adjustment during the COVID‐19 pandemic in China. The participants included 1780 left‐behind (960 boys) and 1500 non‐left‐behind (811 boys) children in elementary and junior high school with a mean age of 11.23. Self‐reported questionnaires concerning children's depression, loneliness, anxiety, and academic adjustment, and parents' coping with children's negative emotions were completed. The results suggested that compared with non‐left‐behind children, left‐behind children's depression and anxiety symptoms were more severe and their academic adjustment was poorer. However, left‐behind children had lower levels of loneliness than non‐left‐behind children. Additionally, supportive coping types, especially emotion‐focused and problem‐focused reactions, were significantly negatively correlated with children's depression and anxiety. Unsupportive coping types, especially distress and punitive reactions, were significantly positively correlated with children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, the relationships between punitive reactions and depression, ignoring and loneliness and problem‐focused reactions and academic adjustment were significantly stronger in left‐behind children. Hence, during the pandemic, left‐behind children were still at a disadvantage even with their parents' company. However, parents' coping style towards left‐behind children's negative emotions played a significant role in their adjustment.

Storytelling as a tool: A family‐based intervention for newly resettled Syrian refugee children

AbstractThe conflict in Syria has resulted in a humanitarian emergency and one of the largest refugee crises in history. The Canadian government has welcomed over 40,000 Syrian refugees. Stressors caused by instability, conflict, and the resettlement process put refugee children at high risk for mental health problems. Anxiety is a common problem experienced by refugee children. Thus, early intervention is crucial to promote their adequate adaptation and development. This study explores the impact and value of a culturally specific family‐based storybook intervention for newly resettled Syrian refugee children. Six refugee families participated. Anxiety symptoms were measured before and after the intervention, and families shared their experiences, thoughts, and feedback regarding the intervention. The results showed a significant decrease in children's anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, qualitative analyses demonstrated that the intervention was culturally relevant to Syrian refugee families and that it was effective in promoting children's overall well‐being, agency, and family connectedness.

Prevalences of and correlations between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidal behavior among institutionalized adolescents in Vietnam

ObjectivesWe investigated the prevalence rates of childhood trauma, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and suicidal behaviors among Vietnamese adolescents and compared the differences between institutionalized adolescents (IAs) and noninstitutionalized adolescents (NIAs). In addition, we examined the multidimensional associations between childhood trauma and psychopathology among IAs. MethodsFive hundred forty-six participants were recruited into two groups (IAs and NIAs) matched by age, sex and grade. They completed a childhood trauma questionnaire, depression scale, anxiety scale, and 3 suicide-related questions. The chi-squared test and logistic regressions were performed. ResultsThe prevalences of anxiety symptoms and suicide attempts among IAs was higher than that among NIAs (25.6 % vs 14.7 %, p = 0.001 and 8.1 vs 3.7, p = 0.03, respectively), while the prevalences of other psychopathologies did not differ significantly. In the IA group, high prevalences of victimization through physical abuse (22.3 %), emotional neglect (57.9 %), and physical neglect (72.9 %) were found, and 58.6 % of the participants had experienced more than one type of trauma. These figures were significantly higher in IAs than in NIAs. Depression and suicidal ideation were more strongly correlated with emotional abuse and neglect than other types of maltreatment, while anxiety, suicide planning and suicide attempts were more strongly correlated with physical abuse. IAs who experienced more than two categories of trauma or greater intensity of trauma were more susceptible to developing depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors. ConclusionsChildhood trauma was multidimensionally associated with adverse psychological outcomes. We suggest that various aspects of childhood trauma, as well as psychopathologies, must be routinely assessed.

Therapist-Led, Internet-Delivered Treatment for Early Child Social Anxiety: A Waitlist-Controlled Evaluation of the iCALM Telehealth Program

Despite recent advances in the treatment of early child social anxiety, the broad accessibility of brick-and-mortar services has been limited by traditional barriers to care, and more recently by new obstacles related to efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. The present waitlist-controlled trial examined the preliminary efficacy of a family-based behavioral parenting intervention (i.e., the iCALM Telehealth Program) that draws on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and videoconferencing to remotely deliver clinician-led care for anxiety in early childhood. Young children (3–8 years) with a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (N = 40; 65% from ethnic/racial minority backgrounds) were randomly assigned to iCALM or waitlist. Intent-to-treat analyses found that at post, independent evaluators classified roughly half of the iCALM-treated children, but only 6% of waitlist children, as “Responders” (Wald test = 4.51; p = .03). By Post, iCALM led to significantly greater reductions than waitlist in child anxiety symptoms, fear, discomfort, and anxiety-related social impairment, and also led to greater improvements in child soothability. By 6-month follow-up, the percentage of iCALM-treated children classified as “Responders” rose to roughly 60%. Exploratory moderation tests found iCALM was particularly effective in reducing life impairments and parental distress among families presenting with higher, relative to lower, levels of baseline parental accommodation. The present findings add to a growing body of research supporting the promise of technology-based strategies for broadening the portfolio of options for delivering clinician-led mental health services.

Social impairment in relation to clinical symptoms in youth at high risk for bipolar disorder.

Social impairment is common in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), although its role in youths at high-risk for BD (i.e., mood symptoms in the context of a family history of BD) is not well understood. Social impairment takes many forms including social withdrawal, relational aggression, physical aggression, and victimization. The aim of this study was to explore the links between social impairment and clinical symptoms in youth at high-risk for BD. The sample included 127 youths with elevations in mood symptoms (depression or hypomania) and at least one first and/or second degree relative with BD. Measures of youths' current psychopathology (i.e., depressive and manic severity, suicidality, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) were regressed onto youths' self-reports of social impairment (i.e., social withdrawal, relational aggression, physical aggression, and victimization). Depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and anxiety symptoms were related to social withdrawal. Suicidal ideation was also related to reactive aggression. ADHD symptoms related to reactive and proactive aggression as well as relational victimization. Manic symptoms were not associated with social impairment in this sample. Although cross-sectional, study findings point to potential treatment targets related to social functioning. Specifically, social withdrawal should be a target for treatment of childhood depressive and anxiety symptoms. Treatments that focus on social skills and cognitive functioning deficits associated with BD may also have clinical utility.

Differential Item Functioning Based on Autism Features, IQ, and Age on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) Among Youth on the Autism Spectrum.

Anxiety commonly occurs among youth on the autism spectrum, yet measurement of anxiety in this population is complicated by a number of factors, including potentially overlapping symptomatology, the child's intellectual functioning, and changes in anxiety across development. Moreover, few studies have examined the psychometric properties of anxiety measures in this population, and no study to date has tested whether there are systematic differences in the measurement of anxiety, or differential item functioning (DIF), across the high degree of heterogeneity and the developmental course of autism. To test this possibility, data were combined across multiple studies using the National Database for Autism Research, an NIH-funded data repository. Parent-report on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) were used as measures of anxiety and autism features, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit of the literature standard five-factor structure. Moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) revealed multiple items with intercept and loading DIF based on level of autism features, IQ, and age, especially for items related to social behavior. Therefore, although the measure's factor structure is consistent with that found in the general population, the SCARED may not capture differences in anxiety equivalently for all children on the spectrum and across their development. Clinicians and researchers need to be especially vigilant in measuring anxiety symptoms in children with autism by removing items flagged for DIF from the SCARED and/or by using multiple measures and informants. LAY ABSTRACT: Autistic youth often experience clinical levels of anxiety. Many tools used to measure anxiety were developed for the general population, but not for use with autistic youth. This study found that the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) measures the same five dimensions of anxiety as in the general population. Parents, however, may respond differently to questions on the SCARED based on their child's autism features, intellectual functioning, and age, which impacts our ability to accurately measure anxiety among autistic youth.

Developmental Variation in the Associations of Attention Bias to Emotion with Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology.

Attention biases to emotion are associated with symptoms of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in children and adolescents. It is unknown whether attention biases to emotion and their associations with different symptoms of psychopathology vary across development from early childhood through young adulthood. We examine this age-related variation in the current study. Participants (N = 190; ages: 4-25) completed survey-based psychopathology symptom measures and a dot-probe task to assess attention bias to happy, sad, and angry relative to neutral faces. We tested whether linear or non-linear (e.g., spline-based models) associations best characterized age-related variation in attention to emotion. We additionally examined whether attention biases were associated with depression, anxiety, and externalizing symptoms and whether these associations varied by age. No age-related differences in attention biases were found for any of the emotional faces. Attention biases were associated with psychopathology symptoms, but only when examining moderation by age. Biased attention to angry faces was associated with greater symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents and young adults, but not children. Similarly, biased attention to happy faces was associated with externalizing symptoms in adolescents and young adults, but not in children. In contrast, biased attention to happy faces was associated with greater anxiety symptoms in children, but not in adolescents or young adults. Biased attention toward social threat and reward becomes more strongly coupled with internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively, during the transition to adolescence. These findings could inform when interventions such as attention bias modification training may be most effective.

The relationship between parental anxiety, child’s behavioral inhibition and child anxiety

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the role of a child’s behavioral inhibition in mediating the relationship between parental anxiety and childhood anxiety in the Malaysian context. Participants were 92 parents (father = 23, mother = 69) of young children aged four to six years old. They completed three measures which were The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), The Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS) and Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ). Results indicated that there was a correlation between; (i) parental anxiety and child anxiety; and (ii) child’s behavioral inhibition and child anxiety, which supported our hypothesis. However, our findings did not provide support for the hypothesis that a child’s behavioral inhibition plays a mediating role in the association between parental anxiety and childhood anxiety. Although this study does not illuminate the mediating role of a child’s behavioral inhibition, our results still provided a groundwork for the development of a specific early intervention program for young children in Malaysia with childhood anxiety symptoms, with the inclusion of precursors of the presence of parental anxiety and child’s behavioral inhibition. Future improvements should focus on recruiting a larger sample size and incorporating the feedback from both father and mother in completing the measures.

Parent–Child Anxiety Symptoms in Emerging Adults: Moderation by Gender and Religiosity

Although research has indicated that parent and child anxiety are connected, religiosity may serve as a protective factor and help weaken this connection. The current study asked 1,002 emerging adults (67.7% female) to report on their mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety symptoms and their own anxiety symptoms and religiosity. Structural equation modeling indicated that personal religiosity served as a moderator between the perceived anxiety symptoms of mothers and fathers and emerging adult anxiety symptoms for daughters but not sons. Participant gender also suggested a 3-way interaction among variables as the interactions occurred for daughters but not sons. Additionally, parent gender suggested a 3-way interaction, given that the results indicated that for emerging adult daughters, the interaction was stronger for mothers than fathers. Thus, emerging adult religiosity as well as parent and child gender may be contributing factors to better understanding of how offspring anxiety relates to that of their parents.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Implicated in Childhood Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

BackgroundResearch links fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) to anxiety and depression in rodents and human adults. Our study is the first to examine FGF2 levels in a pediatric population. MethodsWe assayed serum FGF2 in 163 children with a broad range of anxiety and depressive symptoms; 111 were clinic-referred anxious and depressed children; 52 were non-referred children. We examined associations between FGF2 and anxiety and depression symptoms, and between each of the three facets of behavioral activation (Reward-Responsiveness, Drive, Fun-Seeking) and behavioral avoidance. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to determine the relative contribution of anxiety and depression indicators and of FGF2 to a latent variable of Anxiety/Depression. We also examined stability of FGF2 levels. ResultsFGF2 levels in clinic-referred children were significantly lower compared with non-referred children. Bivariate correlations and CFA showed negative associations between FGF2 and anxiety, depression and behavioral avoidance. FGF2 levels were positively correlated with the Reward-Responsiveness facet of behavioral activation, implicated in depression. FGF2 levels were stable over six months. LimitationsWe did not have data on behavioral avoidance and stability of FGF2 in the entire sample. ConclusionsOur results implicate FGF2 in anxiety and depression in children, providing an important first step in showing FGF2 may serve as a stable biomarker for these prevalent and impairing problems.

Effectiveness of group psychodrama on aggression and social anxiety of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A randomized clinical trial

This study aimed to determine the effects of psychodrama-based group therapy on reducing aggression, social anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. This clinical trial, with a pretest-posttest design and a two-month follow-up, involved 48 children (aged 8–12) at two hospitals in Iran. The participants were selected by available sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (each 24 participants). Group psychodrama in sessions of 2 h a week for 10 weeks was applied as an intervention for the experimental group, while the control group was assigned to a waiting list. The Child Behavior Checklist and Spence Children's Anxiety Scale were used for collecting the data. The mean and standard deviation were measured, and repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni correction tests were performed. We found that social anxiety, aggression, and ADHD symptoms significantly decreased in posttest in the psychodrama group, while there were no changes in these variables in the control group. Also, these results were persistent at the two-month follow-up. The present findings revealed that group psychodrama is effective in reducing aggression, social anxiety, and ADHD symptoms in children.