Why worry with friends? Problem talk and anxiety in late adolescent friendships.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated a theoretically derived peer conversation style, problem anxiety talk, to examine the emotional regulation of anxiety in dyads as a possible mechanism of anxiety contagion that occurs between adolescent friends. METHODS: In Study 1, 376 late adolescents residing in the United States, ages 17-24 with 68% female, responded to measures of anxiety, worry, friendship quality, depression, co-rumination, and a new measure of problem anxiety talk. In Study 2 problem anxiety talk, stress, anxiety and depression were evaluated in 481 late adolescents, ages 17-24 with 64% female. RESULTS: Once controlling for worry and co-rumination, problem anxiety talk with a close friend predicted anxiety, stress and depression for both samples of late adolescents. Factor analysis in each sample supported problem anxiety talk as a single factor with high internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that problem anxiety talk is a distinct construct representing interpersonal disclosures between friends involving threat perception, likelihood of negative events, and lack of coping skills; results also indicate that problem anxiety talk is associated with anxiety, stress, worry, and depression. Implications of problem anxiety talk in its potential role in the etiology and spread of anxiety are discussed.

The role of self-statements as a mediator in treatment for youth with anxiety disorders.

The authors investigated features of self-statements as predictors of anxiety in children with and without anxiety disorder (AD) and as a mediator of treatment of ADs in children. Children (N = 145) between the ages of 9 and 13 years participated (71 AD youth, 84 controls). Self-statements were classified by valence and content. Results indicated that children's anxious, but not positive or depressed, self-statements significantly predicted anxiety in children with and without AD. For children with AD, changes in anxious self-statements mediated treatment gains, replicating a previously reported finding. A states of mind ratio mediated only 1 outcome measure, and positive and depressive cognitions served no mediating role. The impact of anxious self-talk on children's adjustment and implications for cognitive theory of anxiety in children are discussed.

Assessing anxiety with the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher Report Form.

We evaluated the utility of Anxiety scales for the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF). The scales (CBCL-A; TRF-A) were examined using mothers and teachers of anxiety-disordered (AD; 157 mothers, 70 teachers) and non-anxiety-disordered (NAD; 100 mothers, 17 teachers) children. Separate samples of parents and teachers of AD (mothers=145, fathers=120, teachers=137) and NAD (mothers=35, fathers=29, teachers=27) children cross-validated the original findings. CBCL-A and TRF-A scores significantly discriminated AD children from NAD children and correlated significantly with other measures of child anxiety. The CBCL-A and TRF-A were sensitive to treatment changes. Relative to the CBCL/TRF Anxious/Depressed syndromes and Internalizing dimensions, the CBCL-A and TRF-A improved prediction of anxiety status. Relative to Achenbach, Demenci, and Rescorla's [Achenbach, T. M., Demenci, L., & Rescorla, L. A. (2003). DSM-oriented and empirically based approaches to constructing scales from the same item pools. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 328-340] CBCL Anxiety subscale, the CBCL-A predicted comparably. Findings are discussed in terms of the CBCL-A and TRF-A as clinical tools.

Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors as Predictors of Outcome in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Questions have been raised about the significance of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in predicting outcomes of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Previous studies have yielded mixed findings, but some suggest that the presence of RRBs during preschool years is a negative prognostic indicator for later childhood. This study examined the effect of RRBs at ages 1-2 and 3-5 years on cognitive functioning, adaptive abilities, and ASD symptomatology at age 8-10 years in 40 children with ASDs. At 1-2 years, RRBs did not predict later functioning. However, at 3-5 years, more severe preoccupations with parts of objects, sensory interests, and stereotyped motor movements predicted less developed cognitive and adaptive skills, and greater ASD symptom severity at age 8-10 years.

Mediators of change in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study.

OBJECTIVE: Test changes in (a) coping efficacy and (b) anxious self-talk as potential mediators of treatment gains at 3-month follow-up in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study (CAMS). METHOD: Participants were 488 youth (ages 7-17; 50.4% male) randomized to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; Coping cat program), pharmacotherapy (sertraline), their combination, or pill placebo. Participants met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and/or separation anxiety disorder. Coping efficacy (reported ability to manage anxiety provoking situations) was measured by youth and parent reports on the Coping Questionnaire, and anxious self-talk was measured by youth report on the Negative Affectivity Self-Statement Questionnaire. Outcome was measured using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (completed by Independent Evaluators blind to condition). For temporal precedence, residualized treatment gains were assessed at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Residualized gains in coping efficacy mediated gains in the CBT, sertraline, and combination conditions. In the combination condition, some unique effect of treatment remained. Treatment assignment was not associated with a reduction in anxious self-talk, nor did anxious self-talk predict changes in anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that improvements in coping efficacy are a mediator of treatment gains. Anxious self-talk did not emerge as a mediator.