Screening for Fearful and Shy Temperament in Toddlers Predicts Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Prospective Study.
Saved in:
| Title: | Screening for Fearful and Shy Temperament in Toddlers Predicts Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Prospective Study. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ver Pault, Mikayla, Dai, Yael G., Abel, Madelaine R., Carter, Alice S., Henin, Aude, Kagan, Elana, Holmén, Jordan, Hirshfeld-Becker, Dina R. |
| Source: | Journal of Child & Family Studies. Jul2024, Vol. 33 Issue 7, p2110-2120. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Fear, Risk assessment, Temperament, Research funding, Separation anxiety, Questionnaires, Anxiety, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Caregivers, Longitudinal method, Odds ratio, Medical screening, Confidence intervals, Bashfulness, Social anxiety, Sensitivity & specificity (Statistics), Generalized anxiety disorder, Children |
| Abstract: | Behavioral inhibition and fearfulness in toddlers predict future anxiety disorders. Family-based interventions can prevent and treat anxiety in young children. However, anxiety disorders or their precursors are often untreated until later childhood. This study evaluates a brief caregiver-report measure that may prospectively identify toddlers at risk of subsequent clinically elevated anxiety. Caregivers of 152 children (21–35 months; M = 27, SD = 4) completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) Fear and Shyness scales to assess children's baseline temperament. Children were re-screened at one-year follow-up (M age = 40, SD = 4 mo.) with the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS), to capture anxiety symptoms. Mean time between the two assessments was 12.82 months (SD = 1.97). Children high on baseline Fear, Shyness, or both Fear and Shyness were five times more likely to have elevated symptoms of clinical anxiety at follow-up (OR (95% CI) = 4.88 (1.51, 15.74), χ2 (1, N = 152) = 8.32 p = 0.004). When fear and shyness were used together as predictors, high shyness predicted social anxiety, while high fear predicted generalized, separation, and total anxiety. The ECBQ achieved 62% sensitivity and 67% specificity in the current sample, with a PPV of 55% and a NPV of 73%. Results suggested that a five-minute caregiver-report questionnaire can identify toddlers at risk for future anxiety disorders. This questionnaire can be administered during well-child visits, or in outpatient mental health clinics, early intervention, or early education centers, to identify toddlers who could benefit from referral for early or preventive intervention. Highlights: Intervention in early childhood can prevent and treat anxiety disorders, but anxiety is often undetected until later childhood. In this prospective study, a five-minute caregiver-completed questionnaire assessing shy and fearful temperament in two-year-olds significantly predicted clinically elevated anxiety at age three. This study suggests that a brief questionnaire could identify toddlers who may benefit from a referral to early intervention to prevent or treat anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Child & Family Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Behavioral inhibition and fearfulness in toddlers predict future anxiety disorders. Family-based interventions can prevent and treat anxiety in young children. However, anxiety disorders or their precursors are often untreated until later childhood. This study evaluates a brief caregiver-report measure that may prospectively identify toddlers at risk of subsequent clinically elevated anxiety. Caregivers of 152 children (21–35 months; M = 27, SD = 4) completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) Fear and Shyness scales to assess children's baseline temperament. Children were re-screened at one-year follow-up (M age = 40, SD = 4 mo.) with the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS), to capture anxiety symptoms. Mean time between the two assessments was 12.82 months (SD = 1.97). Children high on baseline Fear, Shyness, or both Fear and Shyness were five times more likely to have elevated symptoms of clinical anxiety at follow-up (OR (95% CI) = 4.88 (1.51, 15.74), χ2 (1, N = 152) = 8.32 p = 0.004). When fear and shyness were used together as predictors, high shyness predicted social anxiety, while high fear predicted generalized, separation, and total anxiety. The ECBQ achieved 62% sensitivity and 67% specificity in the current sample, with a PPV of 55% and a NPV of 73%. Results suggested that a five-minute caregiver-report questionnaire can identify toddlers at risk for future anxiety disorders. This questionnaire can be administered during well-child visits, or in outpatient mental health clinics, early intervention, or early education centers, to identify toddlers who could benefit from referral for early or preventive intervention. Highlights: Intervention in early childhood can prevent and treat anxiety disorders, but anxiety is often undetected until later childhood. In this prospective study, a five-minute caregiver-completed questionnaire assessing shy and fearful temperament in two-year-olds significantly predicted clinically elevated anxiety at age three. This study suggests that a brief questionnaire could identify toddlers who may benefit from a referral to early intervention to prevent or treat anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 10621024 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10826-024-02878-z |
