On the Edge of Psychopathology: Strong Relations Between Reversed Self-compassion and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young People.

Self-compassion is assumed to have a protective role in the etiology of emotional problems in adolescents. This assumption is primarily based on correlational data revealing negative correlations between the total score on the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and symptom measures of anxiety and depression. Recently, however, the SCS has been criticized because this scale not only consists of items measuring compassionate self-responding (i.e., self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness), but also includes 'reversed' items measuring uncompassionate self-responding (i.e., self-criticism, isolation, and overidentification), which would undermine the validity of the scale as an index of a protective construct. The present article used two methods to demonstrate that compassionate (positive) and uncompassionate (negative) self-responding have differential effects on emotional problems in youths. In the first part, a meta-analysis based on 16 relevant studies demonstrated a modest protective effect of positive self-compassion on anxiety/depression and a large (and significantly stronger) vulnerability effect of negative self-compassion on such emotional symptoms. In the second part, network analyses were conducted on three previously collected data sets and these analyses again showed that negative self-compassion is more closely connected to young people's symptoms of anxiety and depression than positive self-compassion. It is argued that the observed differential effects should not be discarded as a subversive fallacy, but rather offer an opportunity for studying the role of self-compassion in adolescents' emotional psychopathology in a more sophisticated way, taking into account both protection and vulnerability.

Effectiveness of a transdiagnostic computerized self-applied program targeting children with emotional problems: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an eight-session transdiagnostic program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), aimed at the indicated prevention of childhood emotional problems, which has been implemented with positive short- and long-term results. The present study aimed to examine the effects of a self-applied computerized program based on SSL that maintains the same objectives and contents as the face-to-face program. METHODS: In this randomized controlled study, 75 children (49.3 % female) aged 8-12 years (Mage = 9.45, SD = 1.31), selected for exhibiting emotional symptoms, were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 35) or the waiting list control (WLC) group (n = 40). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected through self-reports and the report of parents who completed parallel versions of the same measures of emotional and behavioral problems. RESULTS: Overall, compared to the WLC group, the intervention group showed positive effects on targeted emotional symptomatology in the short term. Based on parents' reports, a significant reduction was found in outcomes such as anxiety, depression, emotional symptoms, and internalizing problems, while self-reported results were similar except for anxiety. In addition, a positive impact was found on symptoms related to other types of difficulties (e.g., externalizing problems and general difficulties measured). LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, non-inclusion of follow-up assessment and other informants (e.g., teachers). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this research provides novel and promising data on the self-applied computerized adapted version of the SSL program, within a multi-informant approach, suggesting that it may be a useful tool for the indicated prevention of childhood emotional problems.

Spanish Validation of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) in Children Aged 8-12.

BACKGROUND: The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is one of the few well-established available measures designed to assess childhood depression. The objective of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties and explore the differential item functioning (DIF) of the SMFQ in a community sample of Spanish children. Gender and age differences in SMFQ scores were also analyzed. METHOD: The sample included 824 students aged 8-12 years (Mage = 9.64, SD = 1.2) recruited from four public and private schools in urban areas in the southeast of Spain. RESULTS: Findings from factor analysis and Polytomous Rasch analysis supported a unidimensional interpretation of the SMFQ, thereby replicating findings across cultures and languages. The SMFQ had good reliability, and test-retest analysis indicated fair to good temporal stability. Evidence of construct validity was provided by a path diagram of the SMFQ and SDQ subscales. No age or gender differences in the SMFQ scores were observed. However, two items (3 and 11) exhibited gender-related DIF. CONCLUSIONS: The use of SMFQ sum-scores as a continuous measure of the severity of depressive symptoms can be supported. The measure shows promise as brief, reliable, valid instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in Spanish children.

Spanish Validation of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) in Children Aged 8-12 / Validación Española del Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) en Niños de 8 a 12 Años

Background: The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is one of the few well-established available measures designed to assess childhood depression. The objective of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties and explore the differential item functioning (DIF) of the SMFQ in a community sample of Spanish children. Gender and age differences in SMFQ scores were also analyzed. Method: The sample included 824 students aged 8-12 years (Mage = 9.64, SD = 1.2) recruited from four public and private schools in urban areas in the southeast of Spain. Results: Findings from factor analysis and Polytomous Rasch analysis supported a unidimensional interpretation of the SMFQ, thereby replicating findings across cultures and languages. The SMFQ had good reliability, and test-retest analysis indicated fair to good temporal stability. Evidence of construct validity was provided by a path diagram of the SMFQ and SDQ subscales. No age or gender differences in the SMFQ scores were observed. However, two items (3 and 11) exhibited gender-related DIF. Conclusions: The use of SMFQ sum-scores as a continuous measure of the severity of depressive symptoms can be supported. The measure shows promise as brief, reliable, valid instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in Spanish children.(AU)

Antecedentes: El Cuestionario Breve de Estado de Ánimo y Sentimientos (SMFQ, por sus siglas en inglés) es una de las pocas medidas bien establecidas para evaluar la depresión infantil. Este estudio evalúa las propiedades psicométricas y explora el funcionamiento diferencial de los ítems (DIF) del SMFQ en una muestra comunitaria de niños españoles. Método: La muestra incluyó 824 escolares de 8 a 12 años (Medad = 9.64, DT = 1.2) de cuatro colegios públicos y privados del sureste de España. Resultados: Los hallazgos del análisis factorial y el análisis de Rasch politómico respaldaron una interpretación unidimensional del SMFQ. El SMFQ tuvo una buena consistencia interna y el análisis test-retest indicó una estabilidad temporal de regular a buena. Se examinaron las evidencias sobre la validez de constructo mediante un diagrama de ruta de las subescalas SMFQ y SDQ, sin diferencias en el SMFQ por edad y sexo. Sin embargo, dos ítems presentaron DIF relacionada con el género. Conclusiones: Se respalda el uso de las puntuaciones sumatorias del SMFQ como una medida continua de la gravedad de los síntomas depresivos. La medida se muestra prometedora como instrumento breve, fiable y válido para la evaluación de los síntomas depresivos en niños españoles.(AU)

Nighttime coping response in children: Development and validation of a new scale.

Coping strategies can play an important role in dealing with nighttime fears and related anxiety problems in school-aged children, but well-established self-reporting tools are lacking, and research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a new self-report instrument assessing coping strategies in school-aged children when facing nighttime fears, the Nighttime Coping Response Scale (NCRS), and to examine its psychometric properties. Participants were 786 children (48.7% boys) aged 8-12 years, who completed the NCRS and other measures related to anxiety and behavioral problems. The construction of the NCRS was based on relevant prior literature and experts' criteria. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a three-factor structure, comprising 15 items measuring coping strategies related to self-control, social support seeking, and avoidance. The NCRS was shown to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and divergent validity. This research found preliminary support for the use of the NCRS, suggesting the potential suitability of this brief tool to be used by clinicians and researchers to identify and address the use of children's maladaptive coping strategies when dealing with nighttime fears. The NCRS could also be important to enable the development of further research in this field.

Effects as a function of implementation fidelity of a transdiagnostic prevention program in young school-aged children.

Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a transdiagnostic prevention program for school-aged children with internalizing problems. The current study aimed to examine the short- and long-term (12-month follow-up) effectiveness of SSL, depending on implementation fidelity. Participants were 123 Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years with internalizing symptoms and their parents. High (n = 41) and low fidelity (n = 26) groups were established and compared with a control group (CG) (n = 56). Compared to CG, the high-fidelity group (HFG) achieved better outcomes than the low-fidelity group (LFG) at short and long term, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and internalizing problems, and also externalizing problems at long-term. The LFG improved key symptoms at short term (depression) and long term (anxiety and depression). Findings suggest that SSL is beneficial even if not delivered at maximum fidelity, although considering the influence of implementation fidelity is critical because the high-fidelity implementation yielded the greatest effects when compared to the CG. This research provides valuable data, analyzing for the first time the influence of fidelity on SSL outcomes in young school-aged children exhibiting internalizing symptoms, while there is still a lack of studies of these characteristics concerning transdiagnostic prevention programs targeting childhood anxiety and depression.

The Nighttime Fears Scale: Development and psychometric evidence of a standardized self-report scale to assess nighttime fears in children.

Nighttime fears are highly prevalent in children and are linked to children's distress and internalizing problems, especially childhood anxiety. Although its assessment may be critical, there is a lack of available standardized self-reports. This study aimed to describe the development and psychometric evaluation of the Nighttime Fears Scale (NFS), a new standardized self-report for assessing nighttime fears in school-aged children. The construction of the scale was based on prior relevant research and involvement of researchers and clinicians, experts in childhood anxiety, and fears. A total of 794 Spanish-speaking children (51.1 % girls) aged 8-12 years completed the NFS along with measures of anxiety, sleep problems, internalizing and externalizing problems, and positive behaviors. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor structure of the NFS, consisting of 21 items measuring a range of potentially fear-provoking stimuli at nighttime. Strong internal consistency (alphas ranging from .87 to .94), adequate test-retest reliability, and evidence of convergent, divergent and incremental validity was found. This study provides initial support for the use of the NFS by clinicians and researchers, suggesting that it is a promising tool for a rapid and easily-administered assessment to identify the presence and intensity levels of a set of common children's nighttime fears.

Rumination, Catastrophizing, and Other-Blame: The Cognitive-Emotional Regulation Strategies Involved in Anxiety-Related Life Interference in Anxious Children.

Childhood anxiety problems have a great impact on the daily functioning of children and their families. The first objective of this study was to compare whether the use of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies differs in children with and without anxious symptomatology. A second objective was to analyze the possible mediating role of regulation strategies in the relationship between the presence of anxious symptomatology and its subsequent interference in children's lives. In total, 315 children (53.7% boys) between 8 and 12 years old participated. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon U-test was used to analyze differences in the use of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies between children with and without anxious symptomatology. In order to identify the cognitive-emotional regulation strategies which mediate the relation between anxiety and the consequent interference in children's lives, mediation analyses were carried out. As expected, children with anxious symptomatology used more maladaptive regulatory strategies than those without such symptomatology. Multiple mediation models in parallel showed that catastrophizing, rumination, and other-blame mediated the relationship between anxiety problems and their consequent interference. The identification of functional or dysfunctional patterns of cognitive-emotion regulation may favor the inclusion of new components in the evidence-based interventions currently available, in an attempt to increase rates of remission of anxiety.

Internalizing and externalizing symptoms in Spanish children aged 6-8: Results of a latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Internalizing and externalizing problems are widely addressed in research. However, most studies use variable-centred approaches and ignore the possible co-occurrence of both types of symptoms. This study aimed to identify homogeneous groups of children with similar psychological difficulties and strengths, using latent profile analysis as a person-centred approach. METHODS: The parents of 107 Spanish children aged 6 to 8 years completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: The results revealed the existence of four latent groups. The children who belonged to the high difficulties group showed the most severe symptoms in emotional problems, peer problems and hyperactivity. The children classified in the externalizing group showed high levels of hyperactivity, behavioral problems, and emotional problems. On another hand, the internalizing profile grouped children with emotional and peer problems. Finally, the well-adjusted group showed an adequate psychological adjustment in all evaluated variables. High difficulties were associated with lower educational attainment of their parents. LIMITATIONS: Data were reported from a single source of information, father or mother. Also, the socio-demographic variables that were related to each one of the four profiles only considered the age and educational level of the main informant. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that co-occurrence of symptoms is very high in young Spanish children. It is essential to carry out clinical assessments that include both types of symptoms. Considering externalization and internalization as independent and exclusive phenomena can compromise the effectiveness of psychological treatments and preventive programs.

Spanish Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Parent Version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ-P) in a Non-Clinical Sample of Young School-Aged Children.

The parent version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ-P) is a brief 13-item tool for the screening of depression in children from the age of 6 years. Despite the wide use of the SMFQ-P, its psychometric properties and factor structure remain understudied, with few data available for young school-aged children. The objective of this study was to examine for the first time the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the SMFQ-P in a non-clinical sample of Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years. Participants were 181 children whose parents completed the Spanish-adapted version of the SMFQ-P along with the parent version of other measures of anxiety and general difficulties and positive attributes. The SMFQ-P demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = .83) and test-retest reliability over an eight-week period (ICC = .80), and good convergent and divergent validity. Factor analysis confirmed the original 13-item model, thus supporting the unidimensionality of the measure in the Spanish sample. Overall, this study provides initial empirical evidence for the utility of the SMFQ-P with Spanish-speaking children from early school ages, and extends the international support of the measure.

Psychometric Properties of the Children's Version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in a Spanish Clinical Sample.

The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) has demonstrated good psychometric properties in several countries and cultures. Nevertheless, most of the previous studies that explore these properties have combined clinical and community samples. We aimed to validate the Spanish version of the SCAS in a large clinical sample (N = 130) of children and adolescents. The Spanish adaptation of the SCAS showed good internal consistency for the total scale, and good test-retest reliability for all the subscales. Furthermore, its convergent and discriminant validity were supported by significant correlations with other anxiety questionnaires (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders [SCARED], Youth Self-Report [YSR] subscales for anxiety disorders and internalizing symptomatology), and lower or non-significant correlations with depression symptoms and externalizing symptoms scales respectively. For the first time in a purely clinical sample, the original factor structure of the SCAS based on six correlated factors was confirmed. Future studies need to evaluate whether the factorial structure of the present instrument is the most suitable for use in clinical populations.

How Does Perfectionism Influence the Development of Psychological Strengths and Difficulties in Children?

This study aimed to examine differences in gender, age, and psychopathology, according to the perfectionism level, and to analyze how perfectionism dimensions contribute to the development of psychological strengths and difficulties in children. Participants were 319 Spanish students (52.4% girls) between 7 and 11 years old (M = 9.38, SD = 1.15). Children completed self-reported measures of perfectionism and psychological strengths and difficulties. The sample was divided into groups based on the perfectionism level (high, medium, and low). A one-way ANOVA (Analysis of variance), t-test, Pearson correlations, and 3-step hierarchical regression analyses were run. Results showed that 27.6% of the children belonged to the high perfectionism group, characterized by an elevated Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP). Compared to girls, boys presented higher scores in all perfectionism measures. The younger children presented higher SPP and lower Self-oriented Perfectionism-Critical (SOP-Critical) than the older group. High perfectionism was related to psychological problems. The SOP-Critical increased the likelihood of developing emotional symptoms and total difficulties, and SPP was associated with behavioral and peer problems. In contrast, Self-oriented Perfectionism-Striving (SOP-Striving) was related to greater prosocial behavior. This research has important implications for the design of transdiagnostic strategies targeting the prevention and intervention of psychological difficulties in schoolchildren.

Effects of super skills for life on the social skills of anxious children through video análisis / Efectos de Super Skills for Life en las habilidades sociales de niños ansiosos a través del análisis de vídeo

BACKGROUND: Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an innovative transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral prevention program that has demonstrated positive results targeting children's internalizing problems. SSL has a strong component aimed at enhancing social competence, including strategies such as video-feedback with cognitive preparation. This study examined for the first time the immediate impact of SSL on improving social skills in young children with anxiety symptoms, as well as mediating factors predicting SSL anxiety outcomes. METHOD: Participants were 67 Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years old. Children were video-recorded and assessed behaviorally through a 2 minute speech task, before and after the 8-session program. RESULTS: The results revealed significant positive behavioral changes related to children' social skills in several domains. Depression acted as a mediator of change in pre- to post-intervention generalized anxiety scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial support for the usefulness of SSL to immediately improve social skills in young children with anxiety symptoms

ANTECEDENTES: Super Skills for Life (SSL) es un programa de prevención transdiagnóstico cognitivo-conductual innovador que ha demostrado resultados positivos en el abordaje de problemas internalizantes en niños. SSL tiene un fuerte componente dirigido a mejorar la competencia social, incluyendo estrategias como la retroalimentación en vídeo con preparación cognitiva. Este estudio examinó por primera vez el impacto inmediato de SSL en la mejora de las habilidades sociales en niños pequeños con síntomas de ansiedad, así como los factores mediadores que predicen los resultados de ansiedad de SSL. MÉTODO: los participantes fueron 67 niños hispanohablantes de entre 6 y 8 años de edad. Los niños fueron grabados en vídeo y evaluados en su comportamiento a través de una tarea de habla de 2 minutos, antes y después de las 8 sesiones del programa. RESULTADOS: los resultados revelaron cambios de comportamiento positivos significativos relacionados con las habilidades sociales de los niños en varios ámbitos. La variable depresión actuó como mediadora del cambio en las puntuaciones de ansiedad generalizada antes y después de la intervención. CONCLUSIONES: este estudio proporciona apoyo inicial a la utilidad de SSL para mejorar de forma inmediata a su aplicación las habilidades sociales en niños pequeños con síntomas de ansiedad

Effectiveness of Video-Feedback with Cognitive Preparation in Improving Social Performance and Anxiety through Super Skills for Life Programme Implemented in a School Setting.

Effectiveness of video-feedback with cognitive preparation to treat anxiety problems (especially social anxiety) has been scarcely explored on children. Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a CBT-based intervention to reduce anxiety and comorbid problems that, apart from social skills training and behavioural activation, integrates video-feedback with cognitive preparation. This study aimed to evaluate SSL effects, implemented in a school setting, on social performance and to test self-concept and social skills as potential mediators of pre- and post-test changes in social anxiety and generalized anxiety. Sample comprised 57 children aged 8-11 years with emotional symptoms. Children were video recorded in the first and last session to assess social performance. Anxiety and self-concept measures were completed by children pre-test and post-test. Participants reduced anxiety behaviours and improved social and communication skills after treatment. In general, girls showed better social performance than boys, but SSL impact was greater in males. Social self-concept was the only mediator of change in pre- to post-treatment social anxiety. This study provides evidence of SSL to improve children's social performance and reduce anxiety through video-feedback with cognitive preparation. Improving social concept seems essential to reduce social anxiety. An SSL programme is an ideal prevention protocol for anxious children.

Effects of Super Skills for Life on the social skills of anxious children through video analysis.

BACKGROUND: Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an innovative transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral prevention program that has demonstrated positive results targeting children's internalizing problems. SSL has a strong component aimed at enhancing social competence, including strategies such as video-feedback with cognitive preparation. This study examined for the first time the immediate impact of SSL on improving social skills in young children with anxiety symptoms, as well as mediating factors predicting SSL anxiety outcomes. METHOD: Participants were 67 Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years old. Children were video-recorded and assessed behaviorally through a 2 minute speech task, before and after the 8-session program. RESULTS: The results revealed significant positive behavioral changes related to children' social skills in several domains. Depression acted as a mediator of change in pre- to post-intervention generalized anxiety scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial support for the usefulness of SSL to immediately improve social skills in young children with anxiety symptoms.

Psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the parent-report Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-P).

The parent-report Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-P) is one of the few well-established available measures specifically designed to assess childhood depression from the parent's perspective. However, to date, few studies have analyzed the factorial structure of the MFQ-P. The aim of this study was to examine for the first time the psychometric properties of the scores and factorial structure of the Spanish-adapted version of the MFQ-P in a community sample of Spanish-speaking children. Parents of 181 children (54.1% boys) aged 6-8 years participated in this study. The MFQ-P was translated into Spanish and administered along with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-parent version (SDQ-P) and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-parent version (SCAS-P). The scale showed high internal consistency (α = .92) and acceptable test-retest reliability, and factor analysis confirmed the original single-factor structure after removing one item. Convergent and divergent validity was supported. The findings provide initial support for the use of a 33-item version of the MFQ-P in the Spanish population, adding further international evidence for this promising scale.

Group self-identification, drug use and psychosocial correlates among Spanish adolescents / Grupo de autoidentificación, consumo de drogas y correlatos psicosociales en adolescentes españoles

Teens tend to identify with social groups that characterize their lifestyles, interest in different musical styles and preference in specific activities. Previous studies conclude that group identification is a significant prospective predictor of drug use and other problematic behaviors but may not operate the same way in all cultures. There are no such studies that have been conducted in Spanish adolescents. This study examines the prevalence of self-identified group name research among Spanish adolescents, and its relationship between substance use and psychosocial constructs. The sample consisted of 791 Spanish adolescents from six secondary schools, aged between 14 to 18 years (M = 15.03; SD = 1.01). The results support the existence of group self-identification by youth. The High risk group reported significantly higher monthly cigarette and alcohol use, and the Others group reported higher monthly marijuana use. Regarding psychosocial correlates, youth with higher drug use report greater sensation seeking preference and higher levels of depression. Group self-identification is a consistent phenomenon among teens in different countries but, contrary to previous work, those youth not falling into a clearly defined group ("Others") were the most likely to use marijuana

Los adolescentes tienden a identificarse con diferentes grupos sociales que caracterizan sus estilos de vida. Estudios previos concluyen que la identificación grupal es un predictor del consumo de drogas y otros comportamientos problemáticos, pero puede no funcionar de la misma manera en todos los países y en España no existen estudios al respecto con adolescentes. Este estudio examina la prevalencia de grupos de referencia entre los adolescentes españoles y su relación con el consumo de sustancias y otras variables psicológicas. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 791 adolescentes de nueve centros de educación secundaria, con edades comprendidas entre los 14 y 19 años (M = 15,03; DT = 1,01). Los resultados apoyan la existencia de grupos de identificación grupal por parte de los jóvenes. El grupo de alto riesgo informó de un consumo mensual significativamente mayor de cigarros y alcohol, y el grupo Otros informó de un consumo mensual más elevado de marihuana, en comparación con los otros grupos. En cuanto a las variables psicológicas, los jóvenes con mayor consumo de drogas informan de una mayor preferencia por la búsqueda de sensaciones y niveles más altos de depresión. La autoidentificación grupal es un fenómeno constante en los adolescentes entre los diferentes países, pero, contrariamente a lo encontrado en estudios previos, los jóvenes que no pertenecen claramente a un grupo definido son los más propensos al consumo de cannabis

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.

Psychometric properties of the children's version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in a Spanish clinical sample

The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) has demonstrated good psychometric properties in several countries and cultures. Nevertheless, most of the previous studies that explore these properties have combined clinical and community samples. We aimed to validate the Spanish version of the SCAS in a large clinical sample (N = 130) of children and adolescents. The Spanish adaptation of the SCAS showed good internal consistency for the total scale, and good test-retest reliability for all the subscales. Furthermore, its convergent and discriminant validity were supported by significant correlations with other anxiety questionnaires (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders [SCARED], Youth Self-Report [YSR] subscales for anxiety disorders and internalizing symptomatology), and lower or non-significant correlations with depression symptoms and externalizing symptoms scales respectively. For the first time in a purely clinical sample, the original factor structure of the SCAS based on six correlated factors was confirmed. Future studies need to evaluate whether the factorial structure of the present instrument is the most suitable for use in clinical populations

No disponible

Spanish adaptation and psychometric properties of the parent version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ-P) in a non-clinical sample of young school-aged children

The parent version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ-P) is a brief 13-item tool for the screening of depression in children from the age of 6 years. Despite the wide use of the SMFQ-P, its psychometric properties and factor structure remain understudied, with few data available for young school-aged children. The objective of this study was to examine for the first time the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the SMFQ-P in a non-clinical sample of Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years. Participants were 181 children whose parents completed the Spanish-adapted version of the SMFQ-P along with the parent version of other measures of anxiety and general difficulties and positive attributes. The SMFQ-P demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Alfa = .83) and test-retest reliability over an eight-week period (ICC = .80), and good convergent and divergent validity. Factor analysis confirmed the original 13-item model, thus supporting the unidimensionality of the measure in the Spanish sample. Overall, this study provides initial empirical evidence for the utility of the SMFQ-P with Spanish-speaking children from early school ages, and extends the international support of the measure

No disponible