Screen For Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Research Articles

Assessment of Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Serbian Children with Celiac Disease and their Parents.

To evaluate the level of health-related quality of life (QoL) and presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Serbian children with celiac disease from the perspective of patients and their parents. This cross-sectional study investigated the group of children and adolescents with celiac disease aged 5-18 y, and at least one parent of each patient with celiac disease. The patients and their parents were recruited at the Institute of Mother and Child Health of Serbia and the University Children's Hospital in Belgrade. The instruments used in this study were child-self and parent-proxy versions of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED) and Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). Additional information was collected from the medical records of each patient. According to the PedsQL questionnaire, the quality of life was similarly assessed by both parents and their children (p > 0.05), as well as the presence of depressive symptoms according to MFQ questionnaire. However, a statistically significant difference was observed in the total score of the SCARED questionnaire for children and parents [total score (p < 0.05), panic-somatic disturbance (p < 0.01) and social anxiety (p < 0.01)]. The patients and their parents in Serbia have similarly assessed the quality of life of children with celiac disease, but the differences in the scores of SCARED questionnaire indicate that it is necessary to include both children and parents in the assessment of QOL.

The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Informant Discrepancy, Measurement Invariance, and Test-Retest Reliability.

The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) is a measure widely used to assess childhood anxiety based on parent and child report. However, while the SCARED is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure to screen for pediatric anxiety disorders, informant discrepancy can pose clinical and research challenges. The present study assesses informant discrepancy, measurement invariance, test-retest reliability, and external validity of the SCARED in 1092 anxious and healthy parent-child dyads. Our findings indicate that discrepancy does not vary systematically by the various clinical, demographic, and familial variables examined. There was support for strict measurement invariance, strong test-retest reliability, and adequate external validity with a clinician-rated measure of anxiety. These findings further support the utility of the SCARED in clinical and research settings, but low parent-child agreement highlights the need for further investigation of factors contributing to SCARED informant discrepancy.

The anxious traits of the first-degree relatives and its influence on anxiety emotion of children with Tic disorders

Objective To explore the effects of first-degree relatives' anxious traits on the anxious emotion in children with Tic disorders (TD). Methods A total of 31 children with TD and 32 normal children were assessed by The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and their first-degree relatives were assessed by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The differences of first-degree relatives' personality traits between two groups were compared, and the effects of these personality traits on children's anxious emotion were further analyzed. Results Compared with the control group(36.66±8.24), the first-degree relatives of children with TD had higher scores in trait anxiety (40.10±8.24, P 0.05). The school phobia in children with TD was positively correlated with the education levels of their mothers(r=0.407, P<0.05). Conclusion The first-degree relatives of children with TD are more anxious emotion than normal children.Children with TD are more likely to have school phobia if their mothers have better education. Key words: Tic disorders; First-degree relatives; Personality; Anxiety; Children; Correlational study

Risk Factors for Developing Anxiety in Inuit Adolescents from Nunavik

Background: Anxiety among Inuit adolescents in the Arctic has not previously been studied empirically, although the evidence of major anxiety-related problems in this community. In addition to describe anxiety markers, we examined their relationships with diverse developmental risk factors including exposure to environmental chemicals, a specific subject of concerns in Nunavik.Methods: Anxiety was assessed in 89 Inuit participants (Mean age&amp;#61;18.4y; Range&amp;#61;16.2 to 21.9y) enrolled in the longitudinal Nunavik Child Development Study. They completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) assessing situational (State) and general (Trait) anxiety levels. Potential risk factors of anxiety documented through follow-ups were examined at birth, at 11 years of age and at the time of assessment, including blood levels of chemicals (Hg, lead, PCBs), nutrients and vitamins, as well as age, sex, IQ, drug/alcohol, bullying, family violence, food insecurity, crowding and SES.Results: Anxiety scores on both questionnaires were high, particularly for the SCARED, which mean score was above the clinical threshold. Multiple regression results show that significant risk predictors of the SCARED scores were exposure to Hg during childhood (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.25, p&amp;#61;.02) and adolescence (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.27, p&amp;#61;.004), food insecurity (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.27, p&amp;#61;.004), bullying history (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.21, p&amp;#61;.03) and female status (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.26, p&amp;#61;.01). For the STAI, the only significant predictor was IQ (&amp;#946;&amp;#61; -.27, p&amp;#61;.02) on Trait, whereas concentration of cord blood Hg (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.25, p&amp;#61;.03), home crowding during childhood (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.34, p&amp;#61;.002), adolescence (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.23, p&amp;#61;.02), food insecurity (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.22, p&amp;#61;.03), vitamin E (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;-.25, p&amp;#61;.02) and selenium (&amp;#946;&amp;#61;.21, p&amp;#61;.04) were found to be the significant predictors of anxiety on State.Conclusions: Our findings show that Inuit adolescents are at risk for anxiety via multiple contributing factors, particularly chronic exposure to Hg, food insecurity and female status.

Family functioning and quality of life among children with anxiety disorder and healthy controls. A cross-sectional study.

Studies have shown that children with anxiety disorders (ADs) present impaired family functioning and quality of life. We aimed to evaluate family functioning and quality of life among children with AD and healthy controls. Cross-sectional study (survey) at two centers in Turkey. The study group comprised 42 children diagnosed with AD and 55 controls. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire was filled out by their parents to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. Family functioning among the children was assessed using the Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI). The children's quality of life was assessed through the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). The children's average age was 10.00 ± 0.21 years in the AD group and 9.98 ± 1.53 years among the controls. There were higher scores on all FAD subscales in the AD group (2.15 ± 0.52; 2.29 ± 0.44; 2.44 ± 0.55; 2.10 ± 0.61; 2.56 ± 0.40; 2.32 ± 0.33; and 2.29 ± 0.47). On PARI subscales, there were significant differences favoring the AD group (p < 0.05), except for democratic attitude. All PedsQL subscales differed significantly between the groups, favoring the AD group. A statistically significant relationship was found between all PedsQL subscales and SCARED scores in the AD group. We found that both family functioning and quality of life among children with AD were negatively affected. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are required to reach stronger conclusions.

Pediatric patients with psoriasis and psychiatric disorders: premorbidity and comorbidity in a case-control study

Background: Psychiatric disorders are thought to play an important role in the onset, exacerbation and course of several chronic dermatological diseases. We aimed to investigate psychiatric diagnoses in children with psoriasis before and during the disease and to examine potentially related factors.Methods: A total of 108 children aged 8–16 years, 54 with a diagnosis of psoriasis and 54 healthy individuals, were included in the study. Participants were evaluated using The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS PL), Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the results were compared using statistical techniques.Results: At least one psychiatric diagnosis was present in 70.3% of children with psoriasis and in 27.7% of the control group, the difference being significant (p = .0001). It was seen that 73.6% of children with a psychiatric diagnosis were psychiatric diagnoses in the premorbid period. Children with psoriasis were determined to have 9.21-fold greater risk of anxiety (p = .0001) and a 6.65-fold greater risk of depression (p = .0019) compared with the control group.Conclusions: A statistically significant increase in psychiatric disorders occurs in disease periods in cases of pediatric psoriasis. Moreover, a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders was detected in the premorbid process. We think that it is important for these to be considered in the management of the disease and in controlling exacerbation, and for the mechanisms involved to be elucidated.

The role of psychiatric status on pediatric extremity fractures: a prospective analysis.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression with pediatric extremity fractures. Between November 2014 and November 2016, consecutive 138 patients with pediatric extremity fractures were prospectively investigated in terms of the tendency to anxiety, depression, or ADHD in the study group. Consecutive 168 non-trauma patients who were admitted to general pediatrics outpatient clinic were included the control group. Patients were performed with Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale-Parents Form (T-DSM-IVS), The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). There were not any significant differences between study and control groups regarding the age, gender distribution, economical level, or previous psychiatric admission rates (p>0.05). In the study group, the previous ADHD history and previous fracture history were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). In the study group, the severity of depressive signs and anxiety were significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.000 and p = 0.019; respectively). Regarding the previous fracture history, conduct disorder and tendency to depression were significantly higher in the study group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011; respectively). The signs of ADHD, anxiety, and depression were determined to be higher in children with extremity fractures compared with the non-traumatic population. In patients with especially behavioral problems and depressive signs, directing to the child and adolescent psychiatrists will be protective to prevent re-fractures and high-energy traumas.

HUBUNGAN ANTARA KECEMASAN DENGAN PENYESUAIAN DIRI PADA MAHASISWA BIDIKMISI TAHUN PERTAMA DI UNIVERSITAS DIPONEOGORO

First year student need to adjust with different social and academic circumstances than high school. In the process they may find difficulties that lead to anxiety. The purpose of this research is to find the relationship between anxiety and adjustment on Bidikmisi’s first year student in Diponegoro University. Population of this study is 1.157 students. Try out test were given to 56 students. Data were collected from 174 students with convenience sampling technique. Data analyzed by Spearman Rank Correlation. Data measured by Adjustment Scale (26 item; α = 0,873) and Anxiety Scale (28 item; α = 0,905). The scale that was used to measure anxiety is SCARED (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder). Spearman’s Correlation Test show that there is a significant negative correlation between anxiety and adjustment (rs = - 0,357; p &lt; 0,01). The result is tje lower anxiety then the higher adjustment, vice versa. The potential strength of SCARED is it may an effective screening tool for all disorders of anxiety. Further researchers may use another measure instrument that suit their research purpose. Bidikmisi student may keep learning to adjust in college life. University may take part in developing adjustment skill for students by arrange training program and provide counseling service for keep mental health in a good state.

Inflammatory markers as predictors of depression and anxiety in adolescents: Statistical model building with component-wise gradient boosting

BackgroundImmune system abnormalities have been repeatedly observed in several psychiatric disorders, including severe depression and anxiety. However, whether specific immune mediators play an early role in the etiopathogenesis of these disorders remains unknown. MethodsIn a longitudinal design, component-wise gradient boosting was used to build models of depression, assessed by the Mood-Feelings Questionnaire-Child (MFQC), and anxiety, assessed by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in 254 adolescents from a large set of candidate predictors, including sex, race, 39 inflammatory proteins, and the interactions between those proteins and time. Each model was reduced via backward elimination to maximize parsimony and generalizability. ResultsComponent-wise gradient boosting and model reduction found that female sex, growth- regulated oncogene (GRO), and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) predicted depression, while female sex predicted anxiety. LimitationsDifferential onset of puberty as well as a lack of control for menstrual cycle may also have been responsible for differences between males and females in the present study. In addition, investigation of all possible nonlinear relationships between the predictors and the outcomes was beyond the computational capacity and scope of the present research. ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for novel statistical modeling to identify reliable biological predictors of aberrant psychological behavior.

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire in a Non-Clinical Sample of Israeli Children and Adolescents

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Hebrew version of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) in a non-clinical sample of Israeli children and adolescents. We produced a Hebrew translation of the BIQ and collected 227 responses to it from parents of children aged 4–15. Some respondents in the larger sample also completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire (n = 91) and the Conners’ Abbreviated Parent-Teacher (CONNERS) questionnaire (n = 39), in addition to the BIQ. Lastly, 21 children of BIQ respondents (aged 8–14) completed a self-report version of the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess how well the established six correlated factor model of the BIQ applied to the sample data. The Hebrew BIQ demonstrated good internal consistency (Chronbach’s α = .94, n = 227) and 3 month test–retest reliability, (r = .95, p < .001, n = 21). It also showed both convergent validity, as scores on the BIQ were correlated with the SCARED (r = .66, p < .01. n = 91), and discriminant validity, as BIQ scores were not correlated with the CONNERS (r = .24, n = 39). Finally, mother reports of BI were significantly correlated to child reports of BI via the BIQ (r = .60, p < .01, n = 21). Thus, through this preliminary study we demonstrated that the Hebrew version of the BIQ is an effective tool for screening for BI among Israeli children, making it a useful instrument for future research.

Psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy and their mothers

PurposeThis study evaluated the psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children with epilepsy and psychiatric symptoms of their mothers, and compared them to those of healthy children and their mothers. This study also explored the influence of the child-related and maternal psychiatric variables and seizure-specific factors on the HRQLs of children with epilepsy according to both the children's and parents' perspectives. MethodNinety-nine children with epilepsy (8 to 17years old), their mothers, and a control group (n=51) participated in this study. The depression and anxiety symptoms of the children were assessed using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), respectively. The severities of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms were assessed via the mother-rated Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S). In addition, the mothers completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to assess their depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Child-reported and parent-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventories were used to evaluate the HRQLs of the children. ResultsThe patients exhibited higher inattention and ODD scores than the controls did. With the exception of the child-reported physical health scores, all of the child- and parent-reported HRQL scores were significantly lower in the patient group. According to the regression analysis, the child-related psychiatric and seizure-specific factors, but not the maternal psychiatric factors, were associated with the child's HRQL. The explained variances for the overall HRQL and HRQL subscales were similar between the child-reported (0.373 to 0.654) and parent-reported (0.499 to 0.682) questionnaires. The largest contributors to the total variance were the child-related psychiatric factors for both the child-reported and parent-reported HRQLs by far. ConclusionEpilepsy is associated with a poor psychiatric status and HRQL in childhood. The impact of epilepsy on the HRQL occurs mainly through child-related psychiatric factors. Both the child-reported and parent-reported questionnaires seem to be useful for the evaluation of the HRQL in pediatric epilepsy cases.

Discriminant validity, diagnostic utility, and parent-child agreement on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in treatment- and non-treatment-seeking youth

The Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED) may be differentially sensitive to detecting specific or comorbid anxiety diagnoses in treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking youth. We assessed the SCARED’s discriminant validity, diagnostic utility, and informant agreement using parent- and self-report from healthy and treatment-seeking anxious youth (Study 1, N=585) and from non-treatment-seeking anxious youth (Study 2, N=331) diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), or comorbid GAD+SAD. Among treatment-seeking youth, the SCARED showed good diagnostic utility and specificity, differentiating healthy, comorbid, and non-comorbid anxious youth. Child-parent agreement was modest: healthy child self-reports were higher than parent-reports whereas anxious child self-reports were similar or lower than parent-reports. Less consistent results emerged for diagnostic utility, specificity, and informant agreement among non-treatment-seeking youth. Given the number of non-treatment seeking anxious youth (N=33), generalizability of these findings may be limited. Together, results suggest informants may provide distinct information about children’s anxiety symptoms.

The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders Is Sensitive but Not Specific in Identifying Anxiety in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Comparison to the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment Scales.

Validated brief screening instruments are needed to improve the detection of anxiety disorders in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), a 41-item parent- and self-reported scale measuring anxiety, was compared to the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) scales. One hundred participants with a clinical diagnosis of high-functioning ASD, aged 8–18 years, and their parents completed the above scales. We hypothesized that the SCARED would be useful in screening for anxiety and its results for total scores of anxiety would converge with ASEBA syndrome scales for anxiety and internalizing disorders. Significant correlations were shown between the SCARED and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) across a broad spectrum of scales. The CBCL syndrome scale for anxious/depressed showed the highest correlation and predicted anxiety scores on the SCARED. While many of the YSR scales significantly correlated with child ratings of anxiety, none of the scales predicted the SCARED child scores. Differences in self and parent reports suggest that parents interpret externalizing behaviors as signs of anxiety in ASD, whereas youth may describe internalized symptoms as anxiety. Females were more likely to self-report anxiety than males. Results support the use of the SCARED as a screening tool for anxiety in high-functioning ASD, but it should be supplemented with other tools to increase the specificity of its results.

Establishing Clinical Cutoffs for Response and Remission on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED)

To determine optimal percent reduction and raw score cutoffs on the parent- and child-report Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) for predicting treatment response and remission among youth with anxiety disorders. Data were obtained from youth (N= 438; 7-17 years old) who completed treatment in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal treatment Study, a multisite, randomized clinical trial that examined the relative efficacy of medication (sertraline), cognitive-behavioral therapy (Coping Cat), their combination, and pill placebo for the treatment of separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia. The parent- and youth-report SCARED were administered at pre- and posttreatment. Quality receiver operating characteristic methods evaluated the performance of various SCAREDpercent reduction and absolute cutoff scores inpredicting treatment response and remission, as defined by posttreatment ratings on the Clinical Global Impression scales and the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule. Reductions of 55% on the SCARED-Parent and 50% on the SCARED-Youth optimally predicted treatment response. Posttreatment absolute raw scores of 10 (SCARED-Parent) and 12 (SCARED-Youth) optimally predicted remission in the total sample, although separate SCARED-Parent cutoffs for children (12-13) and adolescents (9) showed greatest quality of efficiency. Each cutoff significantly predicted response and remission at 6-month follow-up. Results serve as guidelines for operationalizing treatment response and remission on the SCARED, which could help clinicians systematically monitor treatment outcomes of youth with anxiety disorders in a cost- and time-efficient manner. Clinical trial registration information-Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders (CAMS); http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00052078.

Psychiatric Disorders and Quality of Life in the Offspring of Parents with Bipolar Disorder.

To determine current and lifetime psychopathology and assess quality of life (QoL) in offspring of a parent with bipolar disorder (BD). We investigated 43 offspring of bipolar parents (high-risk offspring [HRO]) (mean age 12.5 ± 3.1; range 6.7-17.9 years) and 43 comparison offspring matched for sex, age, and IQ of healthy parents. Lifetime and current presence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5) diagnoses were assessed using Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). We administered parent and self-report versions of General Behavior Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). QoL was evaluated using the self-report questionnaire KIDSCREN-52. Thirty-seven HRO (86%) and 18 controls (42%) met DSM-5 criteria for at least one lifetime psychiatric diagnosis (adjusted OR = 7.20; 95% CI 2.27-22.81). Compared to controls, HRO had higher lifetime frequency of any mood disorder (33% vs. 2%, p < 0.001), anxiety disorder (60% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (26% vs. 5%, p = 0.01). After adjustment for confounders, only mood (OR = 13.05; 95% CI 1.41-120.60) and anxiety (OR = 9.69; 95% CI 2.75-34.31) disorders remained significantly more frequent in the HRO group. In comparison with controls, HRO scored lower in the following domains: QoL, social support and relationship with peers (p = 0.003; Cohen's d = 0.91), parent relationships and home life (p = 0.008; d = 0.67), as well as self-perception (p = 0.04; d = 0.55). In agreement with other studies, we found a higher rate of lifetime anxiety and mood disorders in children and adolescents at confirmed familial risk for BD. Reduction in QoL was already evident across a number of domains. Adult psychiatrists should incorporate into their assessment procedures targeted questions on the presence of psychopathology in offspring of their adult patients with severe mental disorders and child services should bridge with adult services providing accessible services to children of affected parents.

Evaluation of Mother-Child Agreement and Factorial Structures of the SCARED Questionnaire in an Italian Clinical Sample.

Background: A great part of the literature has confirmed the importance of both child and parents reports as source of factual information, especially for childhood emotional syndromes. In our study we aimed at: (i) calculating mother-child agreement and (ii) evaluating factorial structure of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire in an Italian clinical sample. The novelty of this contribution is two-fold: first, from a clinical point of view, we investigated the parent-child agreement level and examined separately the factorial structures of both parent and child versions of the SCARED for the first time in an Italian clinical sample. Second, unlike previous studies, we used statistical approaches specifically suited to account for the ordinal nature of the collected variables.Method: In a clinical sample of 171 children and adolescents aged 8–18 and their mothers we evaluated inter-rater agreement using weighted kappa indices to assess agreement for each item belonging to a certain SCARED subscale. Exploratory factor analysis for ordinal data was then performed on the polychoric correlation matrix calculated on SCARED items. Differences in the numbers of symptoms reported by children and parents were evaluated as well.Results and Conclusions: Our results reveal moderate to strong mother-child agreement. A significant age effect is present. Two different factorial solutions emerged for parent and child SCARED versions (a 5 factor structure for parents and a 6 factor solution in the child version, including a new factor “Worry about Parents”). This study confirmed the importance of evaluating both child and parent reports in assessment protocols for anxiety disorders. Our findings could help clinicians to determine which information, and from which rater, must be accounted for in evaluating treatment decisions. Moreover, we find that patients characteristics, such as gender and age, should be taken into account when assessing agreement.

Anxiety and Stress in Children Following an Earthquake: Clinically Beneficial Effects of Treatment with Micronutrients

This study examined the effects of micronutrients on children with clinically elevated stress and anxiety 23–36 months after experiencing a natural disaster (a major earthquake). A single-case multiple-baseline design allocated 14 children (7 males, 7 females; aged 8–11 years; 10 with formal anxiety-disorder diagnoses) randomly to 1, 2 or 3 week baselines. Participants then took eight capsules/day of a micronutrient formula (EMPowerplus) during an 8-week open-label trial. Assessment instruments were the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS), and the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). Symptom severity declined slightly in baseline for some children and declined much more during intervention for all children. Effect sizes at end of treatment were −1.40 (RCMAS), −1.92 (SCARED), +1.96 (CGAS), and −2.13 (PEDS). Modified Brinley plots revealed decreases in anxiety and improvements in overall functioning for 10 out of 11 completing participants. Side effects were mild and transient. The study provided evidence that treatment with a dietary supplement containing micronutrients reduced children’s post-disaster anxiety to a clinically significant degree. Future placebo-controlled randomized-controlled trials and treatment-comparison research is recommended to determine if this is true of anxiety in general.

Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Child Version in a clinical sample

ABSTRACTObjective: The shortage of cross-culturally validated instruments limits the study and treatment of psychopathology in countries other than English-speaking ones. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Child Version (RCADS-CV) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses dimensions of DSM anxiety and depressive disorders in youths. In this present study, we aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the RCADS-CV in a clinical sample of children in Turkey.Method: The participants were 483 children aged 8–17 years old. Subjects were recruited from the following centers: Bezmialem University Hospital (55.7%), Kutahya Regional Hospital (17.4%), Istanbul Medical Faculty Hospital of the Istanbul University (16.7%), and Sakarya University Hospital (12.2%). A semi-structured diagnostic interview was carried out and the following measures were used: Children’s Depression Inventory, Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and Strengths and Difficu...

Evaluation of the relation between emotion regulations of children diagnosed with anxiety disorders and attachment, anxiety sensitivity, emotion regulation of their mothers

Introduction: The information about the etiology of anxiety disorders are still limited however anxiety disorders are prevalent disorders in childhood. In this study it is aimed to evaluate the relation of emotion regulation and anxiety level of children diagnosed with anxiety disorder with attachment and emotion regulation in the children’s mother and it is also aimed to compare the results with healthy controls. Methods: The study group consisted of 64 children (8-12 years old) diagnosed with anxiety disorder and their mothers. The control group (78 children and mothers) comprised patients of other clinics at hospital and was matched for gender and age to the anxious patients. We evaluated disorder severity at the time of assessment using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Emotional Regulation Checklist (ERC) was used to examine children emotional regulation. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) was used to indicate maternal emotional dysregulation status, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) was used for anxiety sensitivity in mothers and Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-II was used to evaluate attachment properties in mothers. Results: SCARED child and parent form scores were compared with anxiety sensitivity index, ERC subscales, DERS and ASI with Pearson’s correlation analysis. Positive correlation was found between SCARED child, parent form scores and ERC emotional lability scores, social, physical, cognitive anxiety scores of ASI, maternal anxious attachment and DERS scores and negative correlation was found between SCARED child, parent form scores and ERC emotional regulation scores. There was no relation between SCARED child, parent form scores and maternal avoidant attachment. Conclusion: This is the first study which evaluated the relationship of emotion regulation difficulties of children, who are diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and maternal attachment properties and maternal emotion regulation. The anxiety symptoms may decrease with using cognitive behavioral methods in emotion regulation difficulties of children diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

Persécution par les camarades et manifestations anxieuses chez des enfants français âgés de huit à douze ans

BackgroundBullying at school and its psychological and psychopathological consequences have been thoroughly investigated in English-speaking countries and northern Europe for more than 30years. Initially focused on physical bullying, the perpetrators and victims of which are mainly boys, the research thereafter focused on psychological violence and involvement of girls into bullying and being bullied. Among the many different adverse effects of victimization, anxious disorders are frequently mentioned. However, little research having addressed these issues is available in France and the aim of this study was to examine the links between victimization and anxiety syndromes. MethodsA sample of 734 children aged 8 to 12years (387 girls) was recruited in schools in the Paris district and Normandy. They completed the 17-item Harassment by Peers questionnaire (in French: Persécution par les Camarades [PPC-17]), a questionnaire assessing three forms of aggression suffered at school: physical violence, exclusion, and insults/mockery, and the French version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), which allows for assessment of panic/somatic disorder, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, and school phobia. The probability of having a high anxiety score (>percentile 90) among youths scoring high (>percentile 90) on the victimization scales was compared to that of their counterparts scoring lower than percentile 90. ResultsBoys disclosed having suffered more physical violence and girls more exclusion and insults-mockery. Girls scored significantly higher than boys on all SCARED scales, with the exception of school phobia. All scores of victimization were significantly, positively, and moderately correlated with scores of anxiety problems, with the only exception of social anxiety among girls. The probability to present a high level of anxiety was 2 to 5 times higher among the 10 % children having disclosed more victimization, and this relationship was higher among boys (from 3.70:1 for separation anxiety to 5:1 for generalized anxiety) than among girls (2.87:1 for generalized anxiety to 3:1 for panic/somatic). After adjustment, only exclusion and insults/mockery displayed a significant relationship with anxiety among girls. Exclusion with the total score and social anxiety, and insults/mockery with panic/somatic and generalized anxiety. Among boys, physical violence remained significantly related with generalized anxiety and separation anxiety. Exclusion was related with generalized anxiety, and insults/mockery with social anxiety. ConclusionThough this study was cross-sectional, which does not allow for etiological conclusions, it seems possible, based on the convergent findings of a huge amount of previous international research, to interpret our findings as demonstrating that being bullied is a risk factor that may multiply by 3 to 5 the probability of suffering from an anxiety syndrome.