Children's Manifest Anxiety Research Articles

Can we really use available scales for child and adolescent psychopathology across cultures? A systematic review of cross-cultural measurement invariance data.

In this systematic review, we assessed available evidence for cross-cultural measurement invariance of assessment scales for child and adolescent psychopathology as an indicator of cross-cultural validity. A literature search was conducted using the Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Cross-cultural measurement invariance data was available for 26 scales. Based on the aggregation of the evidence from the studies under review, none of the evaluated scales have strong evidence for cross-cultural validity and suitability for cross-cultural comparison. A few of the studies showed a moderate level of measurement invariance for some scales (such as the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale), which may make them suitable in cross-cultural comparative studies. The remainder of the scales either showed weak or outright lack of measurement invariance. This review showed only limited testing for measurement invariance across cultural groups of scales for pediatric psychopathology, with evidence of cross-cultural validity for only a few scales. This study also revealed a need to improve practices of statistical analysis reporting in testing measurement invariance. Implications for future research are discussed.

A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Emotional Freedom Technique and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Adolescent Anxiety: A Pilot Study.

The objective of this pilot study was to compare the efficacy of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with that of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in reducing adolescent anxiety. Randomized controlled study. This study took place in 10 schools (8 public/2 private; 4 high schools/6 middle schools) in 2 northeastern states in the United States. Sixty-three high-ability students in grades 6-12, ages 10-18 years, who scored in the moderate to high ranges for anxiety on the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-2 (RCMAS-2) were randomly assigned to CBT (n = 21), EFT (n = 21), or waitlist control (n = 21) intervention groups. CBT is the gold standard of anxiety treatment for adolescent anxiety. EFT is an evidence-based treatment for anxiety that incorporates acupoint stimulation. Students assigned to the CBT or EFT treatment groups received three individual sessions of the identified protocols from trained graduate counseling, psychology, or social work students enrolled at a large northeastern research university. The RCMAS-2 was used to assess preintervention and postintervention anxiety levels in participants. EFT participants (n = 20; M = 52.16, SD = 9.23) showed significant reduction in anxiety levels compared with the waitlist control group (n = 21; M = 57.93, SD = 6.02) (p = 0.005, d = 0.74, 95% CI [-9.76, -1.77]) with a moderate to large effect size. CBT participants (n = 21; M = 54.82, SD = 5.81) showed reduction in anxiety but did not differ significantly from the EFT (p = 0.18, d = 0.34; 95% CI [-6.61, 1.30]) or control (p = 0.12, d = 0.53, 95% CI [-7.06, .84]). EFT is an efficacious intervention to significantly reduce anxiety for high-ability adolescents.

Daily global stress is associated with nocturnal asthma awakenings in school-age children

Daily global stress is associated with nocturnal asthma awakenings in school-age children

A Pilot Study of Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy for Treating Anxiety in Iranian Girls

This study examined the effectiveness of two variations of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)—modular CBT and cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy—in reducing anxiety in Iranian youth. In Study 1, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) were translated into Persian and we examined the psychometric properties of their scores using 711 Iranian students. The RCADS and RCMAS anxiety scores evidenced good reliability, validity, and a well-fitting factor structure. In Study 2, we conducted a pilot study using a separate sample of 32 Iranian elementary students with clinically elevated anxiety to examine the effectiveness of two CBT treatment variants. Participants were randomized to one of three groups: modular CBT, cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy, or a waitlist-control group. Results showed that both modular CBT and cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy significantly reduced students’ anxiety relative to waitlist. Depression symptoms also significan...

Psychometric study of the European Portuguese version of the PedsQL 3.0 Cancer Module.

BackgroundHealth-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome to assess the impact of cancer. This article examines the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese self-report version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Cancer Module (PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module) in children and adolescents with cancer.MethodsThe participants, 332 children/adolescents diagnosed with cancer (8–18 years old), completed measures to assess HRQoL (PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module and DISABKIDS Chronic Generic Measure; DCGM-12) and anxiety (Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale - second edition; RCMAS-2). A subsample (n = 52) completed the PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module a second time following one-week. The pediatric oncologists completed the Intensity of Treatment Rating Scale 3.0 (ITR 3.0).ResultsFor the whole sample, the PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module demonstrated good item discrimination (rs = .30 to .54). The confirmatory factor analysis testing the presence of eight first-order factors loading significantly in a second-order factor revealed an acceptable fit (CFI = .91; RMSEA = .05). The correlation of PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module with DCGM-12 (rs = .17 to .58), and with RCMAS-2 (rs = −.16 to–.51) attested convergent validity. This inventory demonstrated minimally acceptable to very good internal consistency (αs = .65 to .87) and temporal stability (ICCs = .61 to .81).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that the European Portuguese self-report version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Cancer Module is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQoL in pediatric cancer.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0421-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sex differences in amygdala shape: Insights from Turner syndrome.

Sex differences in the manifestation of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders, are among the most prominent findings in psychiatry. The study of Turner syndrome (TS), caused by X-monosomy, has the potential to reveal mechanisms that underline male/female differences in neuropsychiatric disorders. The amygdala has been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies suggest an effect of TS on amygdala volume as well as on amygdala-related behaviors such as anxiety. Our objective is to investigate the amygdala shape in TS. Specifically, we tested whether amygdala enlargements in TS are localized to specific nuclei implicated in anxiety, such as the basomedial nucleus. We use a surface-based analytical modeling approach to contrast 41 pre-estrogen treatment girls with TS (mean age 8.6 ± 2.4) with 34 age-and sex-matched typically developing (TD) controls (mean age 8.0 ± 2.8). Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale - 2 (RCMAS-2) in both groups. TS was associated with anomalous enlargement of the amygdala. Surface-based modeling revealed shape differences (increased radial-distances) in bilateral basal and basomedial nuclei within the basolateral complex. RCMAS-2 Total Anxiety t-score was significantly higher in participants with TS compared with TD controls (P = 0.012). Group differences in global amygdala volumes were driven by local morphological increases in areas that are critically involved in face emotion processing and anxiety. In the context of increased amygdala volumes in TS, our results also showed increased worry and social anxiety in young girls with TS compared with TD.

Современная картина проявления тревожности у детей младшего школьного возраста

Theoretical research analysis shows that many authors have noted a positive effect of mild anxiety, called the optimal level of anxiety or adaptive anxiety on children development. A study conducted in 2010-2014 was designed to investigate the levels of anxiety in children of primary school age. The study involved 241 elementary school student aged 7 - 11 years. Anxiety was diagnosed by Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, or CMAS, adapted by A.M. Prikhozhan. The article presents a statistical and qualitative analysis of anxiety manifestations throughout the primary school age. The study revealed the ratio of anxiety levels in primary school children from first to fourth grade, the results are compared with those of previous studies of anxiety. The research allowed to identify the main elementary school periods when children have higher anxiety and often need psychological help.

Culture Camp, Ethnic Identity, and Adoption Socialization for Korean Adoptees: A Pretest and Posttest Study.

This study explores the impact of racial-ethnic socialization on adopted South Korean children and adolescents who attended a sleepaway Korean culture camp for one week. This camp provided racial-ethnic socialization experiences via exposure to camp counselors, staff, and teachers who were Korean Americans, Korean nationals, and Korean adult adoptees, and exposure to cultural activities and discussions. Using a pretest-posttest design to control for the lack of a comparison group (McCall & Green, ), 75 Korean adoptee children and adolescents (mean age = 12.96) completed both the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) surveys at pretest and posttest, and completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) at posttest. Results indicated that adoptees reported lower levels of depression at the end of camp than at the beginning of camp, but little variance could be attributed to ethnic identity at posttest. The results of this study suggest that scholars investigate the possibility that adoptee culture camps may provide an adoption socialization experience that may be more salient for adoptees than the racial-ethnic socialization that was intended. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Children and adolescents who stutter: Further investigation of anxiety

PurposeDespite the greatly increased risk of social anxiety disorder in adults who stutter, there is no clear indication of the time of onset of this disorder in childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to explore this issue further using the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), so that appropriate interventions can be developed prior to adulthood. This is the first time the RCMAS has been completed by children younger than 11 years. Using the same test for both school-age children and adolescents can potentially identify when anxiety starts to develop from age 6 years through to adulthood. MethodsThe RCMAS was administered to 18 school-age boys, five school-age girls, 41 adolescent boys and nine adolescent girls who were seeking treatment for their stuttering. Participants also rated the severity of their own stuttering. ResultsAll mean scaled scores on the four RCMAS subscales and Total Anxiety scores were within normal limits. However, for both groups of boys, scores on the Lie Scale were significantly higher than scores on the other three subscales. ConclusionsExperts suggest high scores on the RCMAS Lie Scale are indicative of participants attempting to present themselves in a positive light and so cast doubt on the veracity of their other responses on the test. One interpretation, then, is that the boys were concealing true levels of anxiety about their stuttering. The results suggest why findings of anxiety studies in children and adolescents to date are equivocal. Clinical implications are discussed.Educational objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) discuss why understanding when anxiety starts in people who stutter is important, (b) describe the function of the RCMAS Lie sub scale and (c) summarize the possible implications of the RCMAS findings in this study.

Absenteeism, educational plans, and anxiety among children with incontinence and their parents.

Children with incontinence have more absenteeism, poorer academic performance, and potential social difficulties during the school years. These children and their parents are at risk for illness-related anxiety. Whereas educational plans are designed to remediate educational, medical, and social-emotional barriers at school, little research has explored the relationship among absenteeism, educational plans, and anxiety for this population. Eighty-three families provided demographic information and completed either the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale Second Edition (RCMAS-2) or the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale (AMAS-A). A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationships among these variables. Children with chronic illness resulting in incontinence had greater than expected rates of absenteeism. A high level of absenteeism was a significant predictor of parental anxiety, but not child anxiety. Over one third reported having no plan in place to support the child's needs at school. However, when a plan was present, it had no impact on child or parental anxiety. Absenteeism contributes to familial anxiety and educational difficulties. Despite the potential for educational plans to support these children at school, these plans are underutilized for children with incontinence. This population requires more attention to their academic and social-emotional well-being at school.

Depression, Anxiety, Hopelessness and Self-esteem in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents in Kosovo

Aim of the study The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety in a clinical sample of adolescents and also examine the relationship between depression levels, anxiety, hopelessness, and self-esteem. Methodology It is a cross-sectional correlational study conducted in a clinical sample of 91 adolescents (Mage=14.56, SD=2.376) referred in the Mental Health Unit for Children and Adolscents in Prizren. The measures used include The Revised Children Manifest Anxiety Scale, Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children, Self-esteem Rosenborg Scale dhe Hopelessnes Children Scale (Kazdin). Results Results showed a prevalence rate of 28.6% for depression (26 cases) and 31.9% for anxiety (29 cases). Low self-esteem was prevalent at a rate of 48.3% (42 cases) and hopelessness at a rate of 18.4% (16 cases). Depression correlates positively with age (r=.284, p Conclusions The best predictor for depression levels are anxiety levels, and vice versa. These findings have important practical implications for clinical work.

Do Social Support, Self-efficacy and Resilience Influence the Experience of Stress in Ghanaian Orphans? An Exploratory Study

Much of the literature suggests that the availability of certain protective factors can help to buffer the adverse effects of negative life events such as parental loss and the negative experiences surrounding placement in orphanages. Following on from this perspective, the present study explores the influence of perceived social support, self-efficacy and resilience on the stress experience (as measured by the symptoms of depression and anxiety) of 200 children in Accra, Ghana. The sample comprised 100 orphans placed in orphanages and 100 non-orphans – all aged between seven and 17 years. The children completed the Children's Depression Inventory, the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the General Self-efficacy Scale and the 14-item Resilience Scale. The results revealed that orphans had significantly stronger perceptions of social support from friends than non-orphans, whereas non-orphans had significantly stronger perceptions of support from families than orphans. However, both the orphans and non-orphans reported high levels of self-efficacy and resilience. Regression analyses also revealed that self-efficacy emerged as a significant positive predictor of resilience for the orphaned children, whereas self-efficacy and perceived social support emerged as significant positive predictors of resilience for the non-orphans. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Mental health and dropout behavior: A cross-sectional study of junior high students in northwest rural China

BackgroundJunior high dropout rates are up to 25% in poor, rural areas of China. Although existing studies have examined how factors such as high tuition and opportunity costs contribute to dropout, fewer studies have explored the relationship between dropout rates and mental health in rural China. The overall goal of this study is to examine the relationship between dropout and mental health problems in rural Chinese junior high schools. MethodsCorrelational analysis was conducted among 4840 students across 38 junior high schools in rural China. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions were used to determine the types of students most at risk for mental health problems and whether mental health problems are correlated with dropout behavior. Our measure for mental health is based on the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. ResultsMental health problems are widespread in the sample of rural children, with 74% of students at risk for mental health problems. The student and family characteristics that correlate with dropout (poverty and low achievement) also correlate with mental health problems. More importantly, even after controlling for these background characteristics, mental health problems remain correlated with dropout rates. ConclusionsMental health problems, especially among low-achieving poor students, may be contributing to the high dropout rates in rural China today. This finding suggests that interventions focusing on mental health in rural areas may also help reduce dropout.

Family dynamics and psychosocial functioning in children with SCI/D from Colombia, South America

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between family dynamics and the psychosocial functioning of children with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D).Design: Cross-sectional.Setting: Participants were recruited from communities in Neiva, Colombia.Participants: Thirty children with SCI/D and their primary caregiver participated. Children were between 8 and 17 years of age, and had sustained their injury at least six months prior to data collection.Interventions: NA.Outcome measures: Participating children completed measures assessing their own psychosocial functioning (Children's Depression Inventory, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-2, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), and their primary caregiver completed measures of family dynamics (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale- Fourth Edition, Family Communication Scale, Family Assessment Device- General Functioning, Family Satisfaction Scale, Relationship-Focused Coping Scale).Results: A correlation matrix showed a number of significant bivariate correlations between child and family variables, and three multiple regressions showed that family satisfaction, empathy, and flexibility significantly explained 27% of the variance in child worry; family satisfaction and communication explained 18% of the variance in child social anxiety; and family cohesion and communication explained 23% of the variance in child emotional functioning.Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of rehabilitation professionals considering the association between family dynamics and the psychosocial functioning of children with SCI/D when working with this population.

The Impact Of Type Of Learning Disability And Perceived Social Support On Manifest Anxiety In Children

The Impact Of Type Of Learning Disability And Perceived Social Support On Manifest Anxiety In Children

Comparison of anxiety prevalence among based and offshore National Iranian Drilling Company staff's children in Ahvaz, 2013.

Background:Anxiety is one of the most common psychological issues among all age groups including children. The main role of parents has been known to support their children. Being far away from a source of support has been shown to be a potential trigger for childhood anxiety. Periodical jobs, including offshore work, are among the main reasons for absence of one of the parents. Therefore, this study aims to assess anxiety in children of National Iranian Drilling Company offshore staff.Materials and Methods:In this historical cohort study, 160 students including 80 boys and 80 girls were selected through convenient random sampling from the schools of National Iranian Drilling Company. Data were collected using Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Inventory (by Reynolds and Richmond), consisting 37 items and a demographic questionnaire. The collected data were statistically analyzed by t-test and logistic regression tests through SPSS software.Results:The mean anxiety score was 12.80 among offshore staff's children and 11.67 among the children of the based staff. The ratio of manifest anxiety among the offshore workers’ children was significantly more than the based ones’.Conclusions:Based on the findings, offshore fathers’ job affects the anxiety of the children.

Screening for depression and anxiety disorder in children with headache.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of initial screening tests for depression and anxiety disorders in children with headache. In addition, this study evaluated whether the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) are suitable for screening symptoms of depression and anxiety.MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted of 720 children aged 7-17 years who had visited a pediatric neurology clinic for headaches and were referred to a pediatric psychiatric clinic for psychiatric symptoms from January 2010 to December 2011. All patients completed the CDI and RCMAS. Among them, charts of patients with clinically significant total scores (cutoff>15) for psychiatric symptoms, as defined by the CDI and RCMAS scoring scales, were reviewed.ResultsNineteen patients had headaches and clinically significant total scores for psychiatric symptoms. The mean age at headache diagnosis was 11.7 years, and 57% were male. Mean duration of headache was 11.5 months. Two point eight percent of the patients were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders including major depression (1.7%), generalized anxiety disorder (1.1%), and bipolar disorder (0.1%). Four patients (0.6%) were diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Total mean CDI and RCMAS scores of patients referred to the psychiatric clinic were 18.8 and 22.2, respectively. There was no correlation between CDI or RCMAS total scores and headache frequency, duration, or severity.ConclusionWe recommend that all patients with headache should be screened for depression and anxiety by CDI and RCMAS scores.

Immune markers predictive of neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV-infected youth.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible associations between systemic immune dysregulation (activated CD8(+) T lymphocytes and natural killer [NK] cell count/function) and symptoms of depression and anxiety in youth with horizontally (behaviorally) acquired HIV infection. This secondary analysis of a previously collected prospective cohort included 323 youth with horizontally acquired HIV infection enrolled in the Reaching for Excellence in Adolescent Care and Health (REACH) cohort of the NICHD/NIH. A multivariable linear regression model with generalized estimating equations for intraindividual repeated measures was used to examine the relationship between flow cytometry measurements of activated T lymphocytes (CD8(+) CD38(+)), NK cells (CD3(-) CD16(+) CD56(+)), and NK cell functional activity (lytic units per NK cell and per peripheral blood mononuclear cell) and their association with subsequent symptoms of depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale) and anxiety (Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale). Higher measures of NK cell functional activity were associated with fewer anxiety symptoms measured 12 months later in crude and adjusted analyses. Higher counts of activated T cells were associated with fewer depression symptoms measured 12 months later in adjusted analysis. NK cell function and activated T-lymphocyte count may be related to subsequent symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Stress, coping and quality of life: An exploratory study of the psychological well-being of Ghanaian orphans placed in orphanages

Previous studies have demonstrated that parental loss and orphanage placement can be stressful and can negatively affect the psychological well-being of children. However, studies on the psychological well-being of orphanage-placed children in Accra, Ghana are scarce and the impact of parental loss and orphanage placement is minimally understood. The aim of the present study was to explore stress (symptoms of depression and anxiety), coping and the overall quality of life of orphaned children in comparison to non-orphans who resided with their parents. We sampled 200 participants aged between 7 and 17years, with 100 being orphaned children placed in four orphanages (experimental group) and 100 non-orphans from two public schools in Accra, Ghana (control group). The participants completed the Children's Depression Inventory, the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Kidcope scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF Version. One-way Analysis of Variance revealed that orphaned children showed more anxiety symptoms than non-orphans but there were no significant differences between orphaned children and non-orphans on symptoms of depression and overall quality of life. The Pearson product-moment correlation analyses revealed significant correlations between depression, anxiety, coping and quality of life in the orphaned children and non-orphans. Stepwise regression analyses also revealed that for orphaned children, anxiety and support-seeking coping emerged as significant predictors of qualify of life whereas depression emerged as a significant predictor of quality of life for the non-orphaned children. The implications of the results are discussed.

Associations between psychological factors and the presence of deleterious oral habits in children and adolescents.

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between psychological factors and the presence of deleterious oral habits in children and adolescents. 147 students aged 8 to 14-years-old were divided in two groups concerning the presence and absence of DOH Habit group (HG) and Habit free group (HFG). Participants were asked about the presence of DOH using the domain III (Oral Habits) of the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Brazilian Portuguese versions of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), respectively. Saliva was collected 30 min after waking and at night to determine the diurnal decline in salivary cortisol (DDSC). Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared, Mann-Whitney, Spearman's correlation and logistic regression. The prevalence of DOH was higher in females than males (65.1 vs 34.9; p < 0.05). The most frequent DOH was nail biting (58.7%). HG presented more depressive symptoms than HFG (p < 0.05). There was positive correlation between salivary cortisol levels and age (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis found association between symptoms of anxiety and the presence of DOH (OR = 2.35; p < 0.05). In conclusion, children and adolescents with DOH presented more symptoms of depression than their counterparts. Moreover, they were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety.