Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in primary school children

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Mental Health among Local Residents in Korea: a Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate traumatic stress and mental health problems associated with the prolonged coronavirus disease pandemic and to determine the differences across different age groups.

METHODS

A total of 1,151 individuals who visited Gwangmyeong City Mental Health Welfare Center, South Korea, or accessed the website from September 1 to December 31, 2020, were included in the study. Mental health problems such as traumatic stress (Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-5); depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Children's Depression Inventory); anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children); suicide risk (P4 Screener); and demographic information were evaluated. The participants were divided into three groups based on age group: children and adolescents, adults, and the elderly.

RESULTS

The results showed that 24.7%, 20.9%, 16.8%, and 20.5% of the participants were at high-risk for traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide, respectively. The difference in the proportion of high-risk groups by age of all participants was significant for traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide risk. In particular, the percentage of high-risk groups in all areas was the highest in the adult group. Also, in most areas, the ratio of the high-risk groups for children and adolescent group was the lowest, but the suicide risk-related ratio was not (adolescent group: 20.9%, adult group: 25%, elderly group 9.3%).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that there is a need for continued interest in the mental health of the general population even after the initial period of coronavirus disease. Additionally, this study may be helpful when considering the resilience or risk factors of mental health in a prolonged disaster situation.

Does it Matter If I Am a Worrier? The Effect of Worry as a Moderator between Career Decision-Making Difficulties and Negative Dysfunctional Emotions

The association between career decision difficulties and negative emotions of adolescents has been researched; however, less is known about what moderates this relationship. Based on the transactional model of stress and cognitive theories, it was hypothesized that career decision-making difficulties in high school students are associated with psychological distress and this relationship will be moderated by worry. To test the hypothesis, 384 students from five public high schools in Romania (54% adolescent females, mean age 17.9 years) were assessed. Analyses indicated that career decision-making difficulties (lack of readiness, lack of information, inconsistent information) are associated with negative dysfunctional emotions, and this association is significantly moderated by worry. The results help us to better understand the circumstances in which career decision-making difficulties activate psychological distress.

Early Development of Emotional Competence (EDEC) Assessment Tool for Children With Complex Communication Needs: Development and Evidence

PURPOSE

This article introduces and provides initial data supporting "The Early Development of Emotional Competence (EDEC): A tool for children with complex communication needs (CCNs)." The EDEC was developed to raise awareness about the relation of language and emotional competence and to maximize the likelihood that intervention includes language to discuss emotions in ways that are consistent with the values and goals of the family.

METHOD

First, the theoretical and clinical foundations of the EDEC development were discussed. Then, a description of preferred translation practices was provided, with examples of Korean and Mandarin Chinese translations. Finally, initial data from a pilot study with two sociocultural communities (i.e., 10 American and 10 Korean mothers of children developing typically) were presented to demonstrate the potential of the tool.

RESULTS

The pilot test offered preliminary support for the sensitivity of the EDEC. The tool solicited responses reflecting cultural differences between American and Korean mothers' perception of a child's emotional skills and mother-child conversation about emotions as predicted based on many cross-cultural studies in emotion.

CONCLUSIONS

The information elicited from the EDEC shows promise for enabling culturally natural conversation about emotions with appropriate vocabulary and phrases in their augmentative and alternative communication systems.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5643076.

The Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children: Age, Gender and Clinical Invariance

The Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C) is one of the most frequently used instruments to assess worry in children. The current study examines the measurement invariance of the PSWQ-C in a Romanian sample. Participants (n = 759) were recruited from both community and clinical populations. Our findings have replicated the good psychometric properties of the PSWQ-C and of the short PSWQ-C (the original scale with the negative items deleted). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis has supported measurement invariance (configural, metric, scalar) across gender, age and clinical diagnosis. Convergent validity with other assessment measures has also been established. Finally, the implications of the use of the PSWQ-C in the assessment of anxiety in children and adolescents are discussed.

Relationship between irritable bowel syndrome, worry and stress in adolescent girls

The aim of this study is to investigate prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among adolescents and difference in worry and stress between normal and IBS groups. Questionnaire survey was conducted at a girl's middle and high school. Students from seventh to eleventh grade participated in the examination on Rome II criteria, lifestyle and dietary habits. Worry and stress were measured with the Korean version Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Children and the Korean version Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument. Worry score was significantly higher in the IBS group (22.07 ± 9.38, P < 0.001) than in the normal group (18.65 ± 8.99) and was higher in high school students than in middle school students (P = 0.02). Stress score also was higher in the IBS group than in the normal group (P < 0.001) and was higher in the high school girls than in the middle school ones (P = 0.04). Of all the lifestyle factors influencing IBS preference for fatty foods, preference for salty foods, drinking alcohol and sleeping for less than six hours a day were found to be significant. Worry and stress seem to be associated with IBS symptoms. The findings of this study draw a clue that less worry and stress will help decrease IBS symptoms.