Temperamental Dimension and Anxiety Problems in a Clinical Sample of Three- to Six-year old Children: A Study of Variables

Abstract

In the last few years, many researchers have studied the presence of common dimensions of temperament in subjects with symptoms of anxiety. The aim of this study is to examine the association between temperamental dimensions (high negative affect and activity level) and anxiety problems in clinical preschool children. A total of 38 children, ages 3 to 6 years, from the Infant and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Girona and the Center of Diagnosis and Early Attention of Sabadell and Olot were evaluated by parents and psychologists. Their parents completed several screening scales and, subsequently, clinical child psychopathology professionals carried out diagnostic interviews with children from the sample who presented signs of anxiety. Findings showed that children with high levels of negative affect and low activity level have pronounced symptoms of anxiety. However, children with anxiety disorders do not present different temperament styles from their peers without these pathologies.

Using an Educational Multimedia Application to Prepare Children for Outpatient Surgeries

“…The relationship between low temperamental activity and high anxiety has been previously reported (Laredo et al, 2007), but to our knowledge no previous studies have reported their role in preoperative worries. Because temperamental activity refers to the level of a child's energy and speed of action, including their preference for active games, it is possible that high activity could be related to being more engaged in activities such as those used in our study.…”

Propiedades psicométricas del EATQ-R en una muestra de adolescentes españoles de habla catalana

“…Specifically, activation control and frustration are related to conduct disorders (AD/HD, conduct and oppositional defiant) while shyness and frustration are related to anxiety or depression. Various studies (Huey & Weisz, 1997;Ehrler, Evans, & McGhee, 1999;Oldehinkel, Hartman, De Winter, Veenstra, & Ormel, 2004;Laredo et al, 2007;Visser et al, 2007) point to a relationship between emotional reactivity with internalizing symptomatology (anxiety and depression), as indicated by the correlations between shyness and frustration with anxiety and depression. To cite some examples, Visser et al (2007) found negative correlations between effortful control and internalizing symptomatology, but also with externalizing symptomatology.…”

Temperament Traits and Psychopathology in Young Clinically Referred Children Compared to a General Population Sample

“…Also, comparison of studies and interpreting results is difficult due to differences on the definitions of temperament. In a small clinically referred sample of preschool children, high levels of negative affectivity were found to be associated with symptoms of anxiety, reflecting internalizing problems [ 29 ], but no comparison was made with general population children.…”