Spence Children's Anxiety Scale Research Articles

IMPLEMENTASI PERMAINAN EDUKASI COVID 19 UNTUK MENURUNKAN KECEMASAN PADA ANAK SEKOLAH DI ERA PANDEMI COVID 19

Children are at risk of experiencing anxiety due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Children's anxiety due to the Covid-19 pandemic because there is a lot of unclear information circulating, feeling that this pandemic is not over so they can't go out, bored at home, lack of time to socialize and play with friends friends, and the stress of online learning. Giving play therapy is one of the nursing interventions that can reduce anxiety in children. This study uses quantitative research methods with a quasi-experimental research design with a pre-test and post-test design approach. The inclusion criteria set were children aged 8-11 years, experiencing mild-moderate anxiety, in good health. The intervention was carried out 4 times using the covid 19 educational game media. Observation of anxiety was carried out twice, namely before the intervention and after the intervention. The number of samples is 24 school children. The questionnaire used to measure the level of anxiety of preschool-aged children with the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Analysis of the data in this study used a statistical test with a significance level of 0.05 using the sample paired T-test. The results of the statistical test show that there is a significant effect between the implementation of the covid 19 educational game and the anxiety of school-age children in the era of the covid 19 pandemic. The implementation of the covid 19 educational game is recommended in handling children's anxiety by involving the family.

The Effects of Virtual Directed Painting Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, and Self-efficacy of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACTBackground: Diabetes-induced anxiety, depression, and decreased self-efficacy lead to poor adherence to treatment in diabetic children. Since painting therapy seems to be helpful to express their feelings, this study aimed to investigate the effects of virtual directed painting therapy on anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy in diabetic children.Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 40 children with type 1 diabetes aged 8-12 years who were referred to Imam Reza Clinic of Diabetes in Shiraz, from July to October 2020. Children were randomly selected and assigned to intervention and control groups, using block randomization. The intervention group received the routine care plus virtual painting therapy directed by WhatsApp (six 2-hour group sessions once a week for six weeks). Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, Maria Kovacs Children’s Depression Inventory, and Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale were completed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed through SPSS 23, using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests. P value <0.05 was considered as significant.Results: After the intervention, the median (interquartile range) total scores for anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy in the intervention group were 48.50 (45.00-51.75), 7.00 (4.00-9.00), and 169.00 (154.00-178.00), and in the control group 55.00 (48.50-62.25), 13.00 (10.00-17.50), and 152.00, respectively (110.50-184.00). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the groups regarding anxiety (P=0.02) and depression (P<0.001); however, the difference in self-efficacy was not significant (P=0.20).Conclusion: Painting therapy should be considered as a part of care programs in diabetes centers and other community settings to control anxiety and depression of diabetic children.Trial Registration Number: IRCT20200118046181N1.

Waktu Layar Gawai dengan Tingkat Kecemasan Anak

This study aims to determine the relationship between screen time and anxiety levels in children in East Lansot Tareran Village, North Sulawesi Province. The method used is a cross-sectional design with the formula frequency, percentage and Spearman rho. The sampling technique in this study was purposive sampling, with the total number of participants being 30 children. Data collection using the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) questionnaire. The results showed that as many as 43.3% of the child participants used 4-6 hours of screen time on their devices and the children who experienced an overall increase in anxiety were 43.3%. The results of the Spearman's rho statistical test found that SCAS had a p-value of .046 with r = .367. Furthermore, the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) subscale analysis showed the value of p = .005 with r = .500. In conclusion, there is a significant weak relationship between screen time and anxiety levels and the higher screen time, the higher the child's anxiety level. Furthermore, there is a significant moderate relationship between screen time and OCD and the higher screen time, the higher the increase in OCD.&#x0D; Keywords: Children, Anxiety, Screen Time

Effects of anxiety on sedation among pediatric patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

We investigated whether the severity of anxiety among children undergoing endoscopy could affect sedation. We prospectively recruited patients under 18years of age who were scheduled to undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Baseline anxiety was evaluated using the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Our analysis considered the type and dose of sedative drugs, degree of sedation, and complications associated with sedation according to the scale score. The mean total SCAS T-scores and each subscale score were significantly higher in the 6-12-year age group. The mean T-score among patients who exhibited irritability during EGD was higher than that among other patients, with significant differences in the Total, Obsessive Disorder, Panic Agoraphobia and General Anxiety subscales. The midazolam doses of children exhibiting irritability were more likely to need higher (p = 0.006). Other sedation-related complications were not associated with the T-scores in each subscale. Total sleep time was not associated with any T-score subscales. Anxiety levels were significantly higher among 6-12-year-olds and children exhibiting irritability. Anxiety was often associated with irritability, difficulties achieving adequate sedation during EGD, and additional sedative drug administration. We recommend higher doses or more potent drugs to facilitate endoscopy for children with high anxiety levels.

Early detection of anxiety problems in childhood: Spanish validation of the brief Spence Children's Anxiety Scale for parents.

The small percentage of children with anxiety problems who receive psychological treatment, and the negative psychological consequences associated with these problems highlight the need for early detection. Although assessment instruments with appropriate measurement properties exist, they tend to be extensive, making it difficult to apply them in clinical settings, schools, or primary care practices. This study aimed to adapt the Spanish brief version for parents of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P-8). For this purpose, information on 215 children between 8 and 12years of age was reported by 163 parents. The Spanish version of the SCAS-P-8 adequately fit a one-factor structure, χ2 = 44.25; df = 19; comparative fit index = .97; Tucker-Lewis index = .96; root mean square error of approximation: .07 (.04, .09); standardized root mean squared residual = .08. Evidence of internal consistency of the total SCAS-P-8 score was good (α = 0.82), and the direct correlations obtained between the SCAS-P-8 and internalizing problems showed evidence of convergent validity. Moreover, the appropriate measurement properties of the SCAS-P-8 were shown to be independent of gender. Differences in sociodemographic variables and SDQ-P between children with anxiety symptoms and those without anxiety symptoms were also discussed. Information reported by parents can help the clinician carry out an accurate diagnosis. A brief assessment scale can be easily applied in schools or primary care settings.

The Effect of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy on Anxiety and Resilience of the School Going Early Adolescents with Anxiety

Background: The increasing mental health problems of Indian adolescents are of great concern but child-health mental service is in a nascent stage. Anxiety is the most common psychological problem found in school-going children. The psychological intervention for this high-risk population at an early stage of adolescence can prevent mental health problems. Aim: The study aimed to assess the applicability and effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on resilience and anxiety of early school-going adolescents with anxiety. Method: This study used pre, post, and follow-up with a randomized control group design. Out of 200 samples screened by Preliminary Identification Performa and Clinical Interview Schedule (PI&amp;CI), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and Brief Psychiatry Rating Scale (BPRS-C), 72 samples aged between 10 to 14 were included in the final study and grouped into two equal groups through a simple randomized method. Psychological intervention based on mindfulness (PIBM) group with N = 36 received 12 sessions of mindfulness-based intervention (MBCT-C) but only 33 completed up to follow-up. Only N = 32 in Treatment Waiting List (TWL) group completed three assessments who received parental counseling about anxiety. The outcome measures were Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), SCAS, Bharathiar University Resilience Scale (BURS). Result: The findings suggested that the PIBM group significantly improved in mindfulness and resilience, and anxiety symptoms were reduced. The effect size observed is strong and the post hoc t-test showed significant change in variables in every assessment duration. The TWL group did not have significant change. Thus MBCT-C is an applicable and effective intervention for a early school-going adolescent with anxiety.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of the psychosomatic questionnaire for children and adolescents with musculoskeletal pain into Brazilian-Portuguese

BackgroundPsychosomatic symptoms seem to influence both the onset and development of pain. There is lack of Brazilian-Portuguese questionnaires that measure psychosomatic symptoms in children and adolescents. ObjectiveTo translate and cross-culturally adapt the Psychosomatic Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents into Brazilian-Portuguese and English and test the measurement properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version. MethodsThe translation and cross-cultural adaptation (from Dutch to Brazilian-Portuguese and English) followed six steps. Interviews were conducted in 33 Brazilian children and adolescents. We also recruited 107 children and adolescents with musculoskeletal pain from schools to test the measurement properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version. The questionnaire was completed twice with a 7-day interval. Ceiling and floor effects, missing data, internal consistency, reliability, measurement error and construct validity were assessed. ResultsWe recruited 140 children and adolescents from public and private schools. During the cross-cultural adaptation process, no major difficulty answering and understanding the questionnaire were reported by children and adolescents. The questionnaire did not show ceiling or floor effects and had minimal missing data (0.37%). Internal consistency by the Cronbach's Alpha was 0.69. Test-retest reliability by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.84). The smallest detectable change was 6.5 points out of 18 points. We observed a moderate correlation of 0.54 (p<0.01) with the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, consistent with our a-priori hypothesis. ConclusionThe Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Psychosomatic Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents has acceptable measurement properties and is a good option for assessing psychosomatic symptoms in clinical practice and research.

How does subjective social status affect internalizing and externalizing problems among Syrian refugee adolescents?

Abstract Although previous studies found the importance of community subjective social status for adolescent health, its relationship with mental health problems among refugee adolescents is unclear. To close this gap, we examined the nature of the relationship between subjective social status and externalizing problems in refugee adolescents. We carried out a cross-sectional study among three hundred and six 11–18-year-old Syrian refugee adolescents in Turkey. The measurements of the study were the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Depression Self Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C), and the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). The results supported the idea that adolescent’s community subjective social status may affect internalizing problems directly and externalizing problems indirectly via internalizing problems. The mediation effect of the internalizing problems on the relationship between subjective social status and externalizing problems were confirmed by three separate mediation models. The results were discussed in terms of previous literature.

Anxiety Disorders in Children with Functional Constipation: A Case-Control Study

Background: Functional constipation as a common disorder in children, may be induce by psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate and compared anxiety disorders in children with and without functional constipation. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 200 children (100 cases with functional constipation and 100 children without functional constipation) aged 15 - 8 years. The participants’ age and gender were evaluated and compared in two groups. Moreover, the Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS) (parent form) for children was completed. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. Results: Of 200 evaluated cases in the case and control groups, there were 46 (46.0%) and 59 (59.0%) males, respectively (P = 0.113). The mean ± SD of age in total, the case, and the control groups were 7.51 ± 1.91, 7.61 ± 0.91, and 7.41 ± 2.49 years, respectively (P = 0.585). Furthermore, SCAS in the case group was significantly higher (33.06 ± 14.4 vs. 24.8 ± 14.9, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the mean of separation anxiety disorder (P = 0.001), generalized anxiety (P = 0.003), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were significantly higher in the functional constipation group (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Anxiety was higher in children with functional constipation than in children without functional constipation (ie, control group), among which separation anxiety, generalised anxiety, and OCD were significantly different in the two groups.

The relationship between nitrous oxide sedation and psychosocial factors in the pediatric outpatient setting.

Moderate sedation using nitrous oxide (N2 O) has become common in pediatric dentistry. However, less is known regarding the role of patients' characteristics and psychosocial factors in their cooperative behavior during dental procedures with N2 O. This study aimed to examine pediatric dental patients' behaviors while undergoing N2 O sedation and to measure the associations between child's cooperative behavior and demographic, physiological responses, and psychosocial factors. In this within-subject observational study, participants received 40% N2 O/O2 , by nasal hood, for non-surgical dental procedures. The main outcome measure was the extent of cooperative behaviors, as assessed by the Frankl scale at five timepoints, namely T1: pre-administration of N2 O, T2: post-administration of N2 O, T3: dental injection, T4: dental treatment, and T5: post-procedure administration of 100% O2 . Predictors included age, sex, psychosocial factors reported using the Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire and Spence Children Anxiety Scale, as well as pulse rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and generalized estimation equation were used for data analyses. In 80 children with a mean age of 7.2 (2.2) years, administration of N2 O was significantly associated with cooperative behaviors (odds ratio [OR]:2.62, confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-4.70, p=.001) when adjusted for other predictors. There was no interaction between any of the predictors and N2 O sedation on behaviors. Except for the authoritative parenting style (OR: 1.96, CI: 1.16-3.31, p=.012), which predicted more cooperative behaviors, other predictors were not associated with behavioral outcomes. In children sedated with N2 O, behavior was independent of the child's demographic and psychosocial factors. While sedated, demographics, vital signs, and anxiety did not contribute to behavior management. However, screening for parenting style may help predict the child's behavioral response.

Kekemeliği Olan ve Olmayan Çocukların Kaygı Tiplerinin Öz Bildirim Yöntemiyle Karşılaştırılması: Tanımlayıcı Çalışma

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the anxiety types of school-age children with and without stuttering based on self-report. A further aim was to examine the possible relationships between anxiety levels and stuttering characteristics in children with stuttering. Material and Methods: The participants included 25 children who stutter aged between 9-12 years (mean age=115.64±9.8 months; 22 boys, 3 girls) and 25 age- and gender- matched children who did not stutter (mean age=116.52±10.3 months; 22 boys, 3 girls). The children's anxiety types were examined with the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale Child Version. The Stuttering Severity Instrument- 4-TR was used to evaluate the stuttering characteristics of children with stuttering. Results: There was no significant difference between the separation anxiety, fear of physical injury, generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder-agoraphobia sub-factor scores of the children with and without stuttering. However, the social phobia (Mann-Whitney U test; p=0.008; effect size: 0.75) and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale total scores (independent samples t-test; p=0.009; effect size: 0.77) of the children with stuttering were significantly higher than for children without stuttering. Conclusion: It is thought that the knowledge of speech and language therapists about different types of anxiety may help them to better understand the individual's stuttering. Thus, anxiety levels should be checked during routine stuttering assessments.

Effectiveness of Social Skills Training on Social Anxiety Disorder in Students with Learning Disabilities

Background: Children with learning disabilities (LDs) may be at risk of social anxiety because they are less socially accepted and more anxious than their peers. Approximately 70% of students with LDs experience a high level of anxiety symptoms, and they have clinical symptoms of anxiety more than their peers. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of social skills training on social anxiety disorder in students with LDs. Methods: This randomized controlled trial study included a pretest-posttest control group. Data were collected using Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (SCID-5), Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY). In total, 30 participants with diagnosed LDs and high social anxiety were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received a social skills treatment over 12 sessions of 90 minutes. After collecting the data, SPSS version 24 was used with 95% CI for data analysis. The Levene test was used to assess the equality of variances, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) employed to assess the main effect of social skills intervention. Results: The results of the ANCOVA test showed that social skills training reduced social anxiety in the intervention group (P &lt; 0.01). The covariate (pretest of anxiety) was also significant (P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: This study showed that social skills training could reduce social anxiety in children with LDs. This result can be a guideline for clinicians to provide the appropriate intervention for the emotional problems of students with LDs.

The Effectiveness of Play Therapy on Anxiety and Specific Learning Disorders of Elementary-School Students in Isfahan, Iran

Background: Anxiety and specific learning disorders (SLDs) are two problems faced by some elementary-school students, resolving of which is a challenge for elementary teachers. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of play therapy on anxiety and specific learning disorders of elementary-school students. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test post-test design and control group. The statistical population comprised of all the male elementary-school students aged 9-10 years in Isfahan, Iran, in 2020. Using convenience sampling, we selected 30 students and randomly divided them into experimental and control groups (n= 15 per group). The experimental group underwent nine sessions of play therapy (two 30-minute sessions per week), while the control group received no intervention. The research instruments included Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Colorado Learning Difficulties Questionnaire (CLDQ). First, both groups completed the pre-test questionnaires, and the intervention program was evaluated in the last training session. As the children could not complete the questionnaires, their parents were asked to collaborate with the research. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed in SPSS software version 22.0 to analyze the data. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the post-test scores of anxiety and specific learning disorders were 64.73±1.30 and 41.73±3.06 in the experimental group and 71.64±1.80 and 49.73±3.33 in the control groups. The results showed that play therapy was effective in reducing the anxiety of elementary-school students in Isfahan. It was also highly effective in alleviating their SLD-related problems (P= 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results, the play therapy intervention can reduce anxiety and ameliorate the SLD problems of elementary-school students.

Validation of the brief version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale for Spanish children (SCAS-C-8).

This study aimed to validate the self-reported brief version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Children (SCAS-C-8) in pre-adolescent Spanish children. Participants were 824 children aged 8-12 from a community sample. The results revealed a good fit to the one-factor structure, adequate internal consistency (α = 0.75), and evidence of test-retest reliability (α = 0.77). The strong relationship between the SCAS-C-8 and emotional problems provided evidence of convergent validity. Also, the results showed factorial gender invariance. The SCAS-C-8 is a suitable instrument for pre-adolescent Spanish children. The brevity and simplicity of this scale may facilitate early detection and help to narrow the existent gap between the presence of anxiety problems and psychological assistance-seeking.

Mental health trajectories of individuals and families following the COVID-19 pandemic: Study protocol of a longitudinal investigation and prevention program

IntroductionMany adults, adolescents and children are suffering from persistent stress symptoms in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to characterize long-term trajectories of mental health and to reduce the transition to manifest mental disorders by means of a stepped care program for indicated prevention. Methods and analysisUsing a prospective-longitudinal design, we will assess the mental strain of the pandemic using the Patient Health Questionnaire, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and Spence Child Anxiety Scale. Hair samples will be collected to assess cortisol as a biological stress marker of the previous months. Additionally, we will implement a stepped-care program with online- and face-to-face-interventions for adults, adolescents, and children. After that we will assess long-term trajectories of mental health at 6, 12, and 24 months follow-up. The primary outcome will be psychological distress (depression, anxiety and somatoform symptoms). Data will be analyzed with general linear model and machine learning. This study will contribute to the understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. The evaluation of the stepped-care program and longitudinal investigation will inform clinicians and mental health stakeholders on populations at risk, disease trajectories and the sufficiency of indicated prevention to ameliorate the mental strain of the pandemic. Ethics and disseminationThe study is performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Department of Psychology at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (no. 2020-35). Trial registration numberDRKS00023220.

Combined Emotional Socialization Training and Family Accommodation Modification: Impact on Emotional Regulation and Anxiety Symptoms in Anxious Children

Past studies show that emotional socialization and family accommodation are involved in children's anxiety, but research has yet to investigate whether targeting emotional socialization training (EST), family accommodation modification (FAM), or EST and FAM in tandem can reduce anxiety in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of EST and FAM on improving emotion regulation (ER) and reducing anxiety symptoms in anxious children. The sample consisted of 80 children with an anxiety disorder (Mage = 6.7, SD = 0.1) and their mothers. Mothers were randomly assigned to an EST (n = 17), FAM (n = 16), Combined (n = 17), or a waitlist control (WLC) (n = 16) groups. Mothers completed The Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) at pre-test, post-test, and at 6-month of follow-up. The results showed that the EST, FAM, and Combined groups were more effective than WLC in improving ER and reducing anxiety severity at post-test and follow-up. Among the intervention groups, children in the combined group showed greater reductions in the severity of anxiety symptoms and emotion dysregulation than the other two groups. Assisting parents to use strategies that encourage healthy emotion regulation and decrease family accommodation might help reduce the severity of children's anxiety symptoms.

A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-, Biofeedback-, and Game-Based eHealth Intervention to Treat Anxiety in Children and Young People With Long-Term Physical Conditions (Starship Rescue): Co-design and Open Trial.

BackgroundApproximately 10%-12% of New Zealand children and young people have long-term physical conditions (chronic illnesses) and are more likely to develop psychological problems, particularly anxiety and depression. Delayed treatment leads to worse health care and poorer long-term outcomes. Recently, eHealth interventions, especially those based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and biofeedback, have been shown to be moderately effective in reducing anxiety. However, these modalities have rarely been combined. Young people have expressed a preference for well-designed and technology-based support to deal with psychological issues.ObjectiveThis study aims to co-design and evaluate the acceptability and usability of a cognitive behavioral therapy and biofeedback-based, 5-module eHealth game called Starship Rescue and to provide preliminary evidence regarding its effectiveness in addressing anxiety and quality of life in young people with long-term physical conditions.MethodsStarship Rescue was co-designed with 15 children and young people from a tertiary hospital in New Zealand. Following this, 24 others aged 10-17 years participated in an open trial of the game, accessing it over an 8-week period. The acceptability of the game to all participants was assessed using a brief, open-ended questionnaire. More detailed feedback was obtained from a subset of 10 participants via semistructured interviews. Usability was evaluated via device-recorded frequency and duration of access on completion of the game and the System Usability Scale. Anxiety levels were measured at baseline, completion, and 3 months after completion of the game using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale and Spence Child Anxiety Scale, and at the start of each module and on completion using an embedded Likert visual analog scale. Quality of life was measured at baseline, completion, and 3 months after completion using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory scale.ResultsUsers gave Starship Rescue an overall rating of 5.9 out of 10 (range 3-10) and a mean score of 71 out of 100 (SD 11.7; minimum 47.5; maximum 90) on the System Usability Scale. The mean period for the use of the game was just over 11 weeks (78.8 days, 13.5 hours, 40 minutes). Significant reductions in anxiety were noted between the start and end of the game on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (−4.6; P<.001), Spence Child Anxiety Scale (−9.6; P=.005), and the Likert visual analog scales (−2.4; P=.001). Quality of life also improved on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory scale (+4.3; P=.04). All changes were sustained at the 3-month follow-up.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence for Starship Rescue as an acceptable, usable, and effective eHealth intervention for treating anxiety in young people with long-term physical conditions. Further evaluation is planned via a randomized controlled trial.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Network Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12616001253493; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371443

Nightmares in Children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Their Typically Developing Peers.

Children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances than their typically developing (TD) peers. Pre-sleep anxiety and waking emotional content is known to affect the content and frequency of nightmares, which can be distressing to children and caregivers. This is the first study to analyse nightmare frequency and content in FASD, and to assess its association with psychometric outcomes. Using online caregiver questionnaires, we assessed reports from 277 caregivers of children with ASD (n = 61), FASD (n = 112), and TD children (n = 104) using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and the Behaviour Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Within the ASD group, 40.3% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Within the FASD group, 73.62% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares, and within the TD group, 21.36% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between anxiety and nightmares, maladaptive behaviour and nightmares, and executive functioning and nightmares in the TD and FASD groups, but not ASD group. This paper adds to the emerging body of work supporting the need for sleep interventions as part of clinical practice with regard to children with ASD and FASD. As a relatively niche but important area of study, this warrants much needed further research.

Spanish validation of the Parent version of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) in a clinical sample

The child version of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS-C) has demonstrated good psychometric properties, but research has scarcely focused on the parent version of the questionnaire (SCAS-P). We aimed to validate the Spanish version of the SCAS-P in a clinical sample (N= 137) of children and adolescents through their parents’ responses. The Spanish version of the SCAS-P showed good internal consistency for the total scale and for most subscales (Cronbach´s alpha between .49 y .83) and excellent test-retest reliability for all subscales (r between .71 and .91). Furthermore, convergent, and divergent validity were supported by higher correlations with other measures of anxiety (r= .51), and lower correlations with measures of depression (r= .43) and externalizing problems (r= .34). For the first time in an exclusively clinical sample, the original factor structure of the SCAS-P based on six correlated factors was partially confirmed. The validation of the SCAS-P in a clinical sample provides professionals with a tool that better reflects the characteristics of their patients.

Elucidating the neural correlates of emotion recognition in children with sub-clinical anxiety

BackgroundThe pervasiveness of subclinical anxiety in children, highlights the need to identify its neurobiological underpinnings to better inform interventions. Given the now well-established link between aberrant emotion processing and anxiety disorders and yet limited neurobiologically-informed research in this area, this study examined the neural correlates of emotion recognition (ER) in children with sub-clinical anxiety. MethodNinety children (aged 9–11 years) with sub-clinical anxiety, completed an emotion recognition task whilst undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The ER task required participants to match shapes and match emotional faces in the context of shape distractors. Participants also completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). ResultsGreater blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) changes associated with ER were observed in the lateral occipital cortex, middle frontal gyrus, superior middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus symmetrically. The clusters also included posterior cingulate cortex, insula, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum during matching emotions than those matching shapes. Females showed greater BOLD changes associated with ER than males in the right middle frontal gyrus. The BOLD changes associated with ER in the right middle frontal gyrus and right insula were greater in children with SCAS subscale (physical injury fear) scores in the normal range than those with elevated scores. DiscussionThe findings in this study implicate the right middle frontal gyrus and insula as key regions in the neurobiological underpinnings of sub-clinical anxiety as they relate to attention impairments in anxious children. ConclusionThe results of this study indicate there are gender differences in young participants during emotion processing and provides a neurobiological target for attention impairments in anxious children.