The Parent-Version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) in Chinese and Italian Community Samples: Validation and Cross-Cultural Comparison

Assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents: Italian validation of the short version of the spence children's anxiety scale for parents

The assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents requires a valid and reliable single instrument able to detect various anxiety symptoms early and systematically collect data from other informant such as parents. The present study aimed to test the one-factor structure of the SCAS-P-8 and to examine its psychometric properties and invariance across sex and age in an Italian sample of 769 parents of children and adolescents aged 3-18 years (50.8% females). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one-factor structure of the SCAS-P-8, which showed good reliability and invariance by sex and age. When examining mean differences by sex and age, results showed that female schoolchildren had higher anxiety scores than males and other age groups. A strong correlation with emotional problems demonstrated convergent validity, while discriminant validity resulted from the weak correlations with externalizing symptoms and relationship problems with peers. Overall, findings support the SCAS-P-8 as a valid brief instrument to assess anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents for clinical and research purposes and demonstrate its invariance across sex and age.

Impact of Repeated Infantile Exposure to Surgery and Anesthesia on Gut Microbiota and Anxiety Behaviors at Age 6-9

(1) Background: Preclinical as well as population studies have connected general anesthesia and surgery with a higher risk of abnormal cognitive development, including emotional development. Gut microbiota dysbiosis in neonatal rodents during the perioperative period has been reported, however, the relevance of this to human children who undergo multiple anesthesia for surgeries is unknown. Given the emerging role of altered gut microbes in propagating anxiety and depression, we sought to study whether repeated infantile exposures to surgery and anesthesia affect gut microbiota and anxiety behaviors later in life. (2) Methods: This is a retrospectively matched cohort study comparing 22 pediatric patients of less than 3 years of age with multiple exposures (≥3) to anesthesia for surgeries and 22 healthy controls with no history of exposure to anesthesia. The parent report version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) was applied to evaluate anxiety in children aged between 6 and 9 years old. Additionally, the gut microbiota profiles of the two groups were compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. (3) Results: In behavioral tests, the p-SCAS score of obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobia were significantly higher in children with repeated anesthesia exposure relative to the controls. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to panic attacks and agoraphobia, separation anxiety disorder, physical injury fears, generalized anxiety disorder, and the total SCAS-P scores. In the control group, 3 children out of 22 were found to have moderately elevated scores, but none of them had abnormally elevated scores. In the multiple-exposure group, 5 children out of 22 obtained moderately elevated scores, while 2 scored as abnormally elevated. However, no statistically significant differences were detected in the number of children with elevated and abnormally elevated scores. The data show that repeated anesthesia and surgical exposures in children led to long-lasting severe gut microbiota dysbiosis. (4) Conclusions: In this preliminary study, our findings demonstrated that early repeated exposures to anesthesia and surgical predisposes children to anxiety as well as long-term gut microbiota dysbiosis. We should confirm these findings in a larger data population size and with detailed analysis. However, the authors cannot confirm an association between the dysbiosis and anxiety.

Parental Harsh Discipline and Migrant Children's Anxiety in China: The Moderating Role of Parental Warmth and Gender

The present study examined the moderating effects of both parents' warmth in the relations between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and migrant children's anxiety and parent and child gender differences in the moderating mechanism in Chinese society. This study used a sample of 477 elementary school-age children and both their parents in Chinese migrant families. We constructed a Structural Equation Model to explore the relation between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and migrant children's anxiety and the moderating role of parental warmth. Our findings revealed that maternal but not paternal psychological aggression was found to significantly predict boys' anxiety. Moreover, maternal warmth exacerbated the relations between paternal corporal punishment and girls' anxiety. The findings provide partial support for the "healthy context paradox" and highlight the importance of considering how the broader family emotional context may interact with parental harsh discipline to influence child adjustment.

Childhood ischaemic stroke in the basal ganglia can lead to fine motor and anxiety disorders: a retrospective analysis and follow-up of 109 cases

Background

Stroke in children easily causes long-term dysfunction. Whether the prognoses of motor and anxiety disorders are related to the affected stroke area has not been reported.

Methods

One hundred nine cases of children with ischaemic stroke were reviewed and divided into three groups: lenticular nucleus lesions only (lenticular nucleus group), lenticular nucleus and caudate head lesions (caudate head group), and lenticular nucleus and thalamus lesions (thalamus group). Overall prognosis was evaluated by the mRS score. The SCAS-P was used to evaluate anxiety in children aged ≥6 years.

Results

mRS scores were ≤ 2 points (mean: 0.62), no significant difference among groups. 3/21 (14.2%) patients in the caudate head group changed handedness, which is significantly higher than other groups. Patients with lesions in thalamus group had significantly higher SCAS-P scores.

Conclusions

The overall prognosis of children with basal ganglia ischaemic stroke is good. However, hand preference changes and anxiety disorders may develop. Patients in the caudate head groups are more likely to suffer from fine motor disorders and changes in handedness. Patients within the thalamus group are more prone to anxiety than patients in the other groups. Anxiety disorders should be noted in children with basal ganglia stroke.

Intergenerational transmission of anxiety in Chinese migrant families: The mediating role of parents' perceptions of coparenting

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that anxiety transmits across generations. However, little is known about the intergenerational transmission of anxiety in Chinese migrant families and the potential mediators of the intergenerational transmission. Therefore, this study investigated the intergenerational transmission of anxiety from both fathers and mothers to children in Chinese migrant families and the mediating role of both mothers' and fathers' perceptions of coparenting.

METHODS

Participants were 477 elementary school-age children and both their parents in Chinese migrant families. Mothers and fathers self-reported their anxiety and perceptions of coparenting. Children's anxiety was measured based on maternal report and paternal report. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the mediating role of both mothers' and fathers' perceptions of coparenting in the intergenerational transmission of anxiety.

RESULTS

Anxiety was transmitted across generations from both fathers and mothers to migrant children, and fathers' (but not mothers') perceptions of coparenting mediated the intergenerational transmission of anxiety from both fathers and mothers to migrant children.

LIMITATIONS

Causal conclusions cannot be drawn based on cross-sectional research design.

CONCLUSIONS

Coparenting seemed to play an important role in the intergenerational transmission of anxiety. Interventions preventing the intergenerational transmission of anxiety should designate relevant effort enhancing fathers' perceptions of coparenting by changing fathers' negative perceptions and evaluations of the coparenting relationship and increasing mothers' high-quality coparenting behavior.

One-Year follow-up effects of a cognitive behavior therapy-based transdiagnostic program for emotional problems in young children: A school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The present study examined the long-term efficacy of a transdiagnostic prevention program, Super Skills for Life (SSL), among young children with emotional problems. SSL is based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, and social skills training.

METHODS

One-hundred and twenty-three Spanish-speaking children, aged 6 to 8 years, and their parents participated in the study. They were recruited from ten schools. Schools were randomly allocated to either the intervention (IG) or waiting-list control (WLC) groups. The children's parent completed a set of questionnaires to measure their child's anxiety and depressive symptoms, general difficulties and positive attributes, and psychosocial impairment. Parent's assessment at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up was assessed using an intent-to-treat approach.

RESULTS

The IG, compared to WLC group, showed significant baseline-to-follow-up reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as in behavioral difficulties and psychosocial impairment in various life domains.

LIMITATIONS

The small sample size and the reliance on parental reports were the major limitations of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides initial evidence of the long-term effects of SSL, suggesting that it is a promising indicated preventive intervention for young children with emotional problems.

Validation of the parent report version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) for Spanish children

Although Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a widely used anxiety measure in many countries around the world, until now, research has barely focused on the usefulness of the parent version (SCAS-P) in young children. This study examines the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the SCAS-P in a Spanish community sample of 181 children aged 6-8 years (M = 6.87, SD = 0.78). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the original six-factor model to the Spanish sample. The internal consistency and the test-retest reliability of the scale were high. Regarding the validity of this measure, higher and significant correlations between the SCAS-P and internalizing problems and lower correlations with externalizing problems were obtained, as found in the original version. Girls seemed to show more anxiety problems than boys, but no significant differences were found. The results suggest that the SCAS-P is an adequate measure to assess anxious symptomatology in young children. The availability of measures with good psychometric properties allows psychologists to assess and carry out a correct and early diagnosis of anxiety disorders in children, making possible an early clinical intervention.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anxiety in a Clinical Dutch Sample of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anxiety is highly prevalent in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is inconsistency in studies investigating the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety in children with ASD. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to give an overview of the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in a clinical Dutch sample of children with ASD. The second aim was to investigate age, gender, ASD subtype, and IQ as potential risk factors for anxiety in this sample. In total, 172 children with ASD (age, 8-15 years) and their parents participated in this study. Specialized services in which children with ASD were recruited were two mental health institutes and one secondary special education school. The findings showed that more than 60% of the participating children with ASD had at least subclinical anxiety symptoms according to children. More than 80% of the children with ASD had at least subclinical anxiety symptoms according to parents. It was found that younger children and girls with ASD had more anxiety symptoms than older children and boys with ASD. Moreover, it was found that children with a higher performance (non-verbal) IQ and lower verbal IQ had more specific phobia symptoms. The findings suggest that in a clinical context, children with ASD have a high risk to have co-occurring anxiety symptoms, especially girls and younger children with ASD. Therefore, early prevention and treatment of anxiety in children with ASD who are most at risk is important.

Early Evidence of the Italian Parent-Report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P)

The parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P) is a widely used scale that assesses children's and adolescents' strengths and difficulties. The present study applied this scale to Italian adolescents and compared the current results with previous Chinese findings and the United Kingdom norm. Participants were 422 Italian parents and their adolescent children. Parents and adolescents answered the parent-report and the self-report SDQ, respectively. Results showed that the five-factor first-order model was better than other competing models. Cronbach's alpha of emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, prosocial behavior, and total difficulties was .63, .52, .69, .51, .59, and .77 respectively for mother-report measure, and .67, .48, .67, .46, .55, and .79 respectively for father-report measure. Parent-adolescent agreements ranged from low to medium, whereas mother-father agreements were large. Parents did not rate boys and girls as well as early-adolescence and mid-adolescence differently. Italian parents rated their adolescent children to have lower levels of hyperactivity, peer problems, total difficulties, and higher levels of prosocial behavior than Chinese parents; and Italian mothers rated their adolescent children to have lower levels of hyperactivity than United Kingdom parents. In conclusion, the current findings suggest both strengths and inadequacies of the SDQ-P for Italian adolescents.