The ''Jupiter'' Sinking: Effects on Children''s Fears, Depression and Anxiety

Twenty-five girls who survived the sinking of the cruise ship 'Jupiter' were compared with three other groups of girls--71 controls from a separate school; 46 girls in the same school who had not wanted to go on the cruise; and 13 girls who were in a 'near miss' group in that they wanted to go but did not get places. All completed the Fear Survey Schedule for Children (revised form), the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Birleson Depression Inventory. Survivors did not become generally more fearful. Rather, they developed significantly greater fears to stimuli related to the traumatic event. The results are discussed in relation to the conditioning theory of the acquisition of phobias.     

Fears in British Children and Their Relationship to Manifest Anxiety and Depression

In the present study, we examined the pattern and intensity of fears in 327 British school children and the relation of those fears to anxiety and depression. The fears reported by the British children were found to be nearly identical to those found in Australian and American children (Ollendick, King & Frary, 1989). Further, although a moderate relation was found between fear and anxiety, only a modest relation was found between fear and depression. Anxiety and depression, however, were highly inter-related. Results of the study are explored in terms of the uniqueness of the constructs of fear, anxiety, and depression and their possible contribution to a more global construct, labeled 'negative affectivity' by Watson and Clark (1984).     

Kindergarten-aged Children's Reactions to an Emotionally Charged Naturalistic Event: Relations between Cognitions, Self-reported Emotions, and Emotional Behaviour

Relations between kindergarten-aged children's cognitions, self-reported emotions, and expressive behaviour regarding an emotion-eliciting event were examined by investigating 32 Dutch children's reactions to meeting "Sinterklaas". who they think brings present for children, but who might also punish them. Measures included cognitions about Sinterklaas, emotion self-reports, and expressive behaviour when meeting Sinterklaas. Girls', but not boys', self-reports were related to their expressive behaviour. Boys' cognitions were not related to their emotions, whereas girls' cognitions and emotions were related inversely. That is girls who reported the most positive cognitions about Sinterklaas showed the most, rather than the least, fear.     

Annotation: Behaviour Phenotypes: A window On to the Biology of Behavior

Characteristic behavioural pattern (including cognitive processes and social interactions) have been reported in a number of syndromes arising from genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, suggesting that molecular analysis of the underlying defect could reveal the biological basis of the behavioural phenotype. Because of the rarity of many of the syndromes, and the complexity of their genetic basis, there are great difficulties in establishing The validity of the association between syndrome and behavioural phenotypes. Nevertheless, evidence from animal studies with relevance to human behavioural phenotypes shows that the pathway from genotype to phenotype may be accessible by careful delineation of behavioural phenotypes.     

Reading Disabilities With and Without Behaviour Problems at 7–8 Years: Prediction from Longitudinal Data from Infancy to 6 Years

Seven-year-old children with reading disabilities (RD-only), behaviour problems (BP-only), both conditions (RD-BP) and neither condition (Comparison) were compared on indices including temperament and behaviour, gathered in five periods between infancy and 6 years of age. The RD-BP group differed clearly from the RD-only group from infancy onwards. This comorbid group was similar to the BP-only group, while the RD-only group was similar to the Comparison group, until school age. The gender composition of the two RD groups differed, and the RD-BP boys showed the most problematic characteristics. The findings indicate different developmental pathways for 'pure' RD children and those with comorbid BPs.     

Fear in Children and Adolescents: Relations with Negative Life Events, Attributional Style, and Avoidant Coping

In this study, we explored relations among negative life events, negative attributional style, avoidant coping, and level of fear in 99 children who had survived residential fires. Overall, negative life events, negative attributional style, and avoidant coping were found to be predictive of levels of fear. However, the relation between negative life events and fear was moderated by mother's level of education such that this prediction was obtained only for those children whose mothers were low in education level. Age, ethnicity, and sex did not moderate these relations. In addition, negative attributional style and avoidant coping were related to levels of fear in those children whose mothers were high in education levels but not those whose mothers were low in education level. Results are discussed within a stress and coping framework.     

Fears in American, Australian, Chinese, and Nigerian Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Cultural Study

The fears of childhood and adolescence may differ from one cultural context to another. We explored this possibility in 1200 American. Australian. Chinese, and Nigerian children and adolescents between 7 and 17 years of age. Responses to a standard fear survey schedule revealed significant differences in the number, content, pattern, and level of fears. Nigerian children and adolescents endorsed fears at higher levels than American, Australian, or Chinese youth who did not differ from one another. However, differences in the pattern and content of fears for boys and girls of different ages were noted across the countries. Results were interpreted within a cultural context, which suggested that cultures which favor inhibition, compliance, and obedience serve to increase levels of fear. Alternative interpretations are offered and limitations of cross-cultural research are explored.     

The Relationship Between Digit Sucking and Behaviour Problems: a Longitudinal Study over 10 Years

Data from the Dunedin (New Zealand) Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study were used to examine continuity and discontinuity in digit sucking between 5 and 11 years. The data were also used to examine the relationship between digit sucking and behaviour problems at 5, 7, 9, 11 and 15 years. Cross-sectional analyses showed a relationship between digit sucking and behaviour problems at all ages, except 5 years. Longitudinal analysis by multiple regression showed that digit sucking at 5 and 7 years predicted behaviour problems at 7, 9 and 11 years. This effect was most apparent at 7 years. Children who sucked their digits at 11 years were more likely to have overjets of 6mm or more between their upper and lower dental arches. The behavioural and dental evidence suggest that it would be better for children to stop sucking their digits before they started school and acquired their permanent dentition.     

Comparison of two strategies to improve infant sleep problems, and associated impacts on maternal experience, mood and infant emotional health: a single case replication design study

Background

Infant sleep problems (ISP) are common and have known effects on parental mood. There is debate as to whether treatment strategies may impact on the infant's emotional health.

Aims

To compare the effectiveness of two treatment strategies for ISP on the infant's sleep, maternal mood, and the infant's emotional health. The two strategies are 1) systematic ignoring with minimal check (‘SI-mc’: commonly known as ‘controlled crying’), and 2) a new, but similar, method where parents feign sleep inside the infant's room before intervening (parental presence with minimal check: ‘PP-mc’).

Design

Participants were randomised to one of the two conditions. Measures were taken at baseline, then three weeks and four months post-intervention.

Subjects

Data were collected from 16 families with infants aged 6–18 months who were seeking professional help with their infant's sleep difficulties.

Outcome measures

Measures of infant sleep, maternal experiences and mood, and infant emotional health were collected.

Results

Both treatments were effective, with a third to a half of families reporting decreased ISP by 3 week post intervention, and nearly all reporting decreased ISP by follow-up. Similarly, most mothers in both treatments reported improvements to their experiences or mood, and there was no discernable disruption to infant emotional health.

Conclusions

These findings support previous research into the effectiveness of SI-mc. The study also expands the research into the effectiveness of parental presence by showing that with the inclusion of the minimal check component, which may be preferred by both parents and clinicians over non-responding to the crying infant, the strategy is as effective as SI-mc.     

Fifteen,female and stressed: changing patterns of psychological distress over time

BACKGROUND: Despite a widespread view that the mental health of young people has deteriorated, the evidence base is limited by the lack of comparable datasets over time, and their capacity to test specific hypotheses about the causes of such change, in this case those particularly affecting young females. METHOD: Two cohorts of 15-year-olds in the West of Scotland, surveyed in 1987 and 1999, were compared, using the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire to measure psychological distress (GHQ caseness, cut-off 2/3), together with items and indices of personal and performance worries. RESULTS: Between 1987 and 1999, GHQ caseness increased significantly for females (from 19% to 33%), but not males (13% to 15%), a change particularly experienced by females from non-manual and skilled manual backgrounds. With one notable exception (unemployment), most worries also increased for both sexes, a gender gap emerging in respect of worries about school performance, females worrying more. While the effect of personal worries (e.g., looks and weight) on GHQ caseness persisted over time in both sexes, that of performance worries only emerged for females in 1999. Using survey date as an indicator, a relationship between proximity to exams and GHQ caseness was also only found among females in 1999. CONCLUSION: The increase in levels of psychological distress among young females over this period may be explained by an increase in educational expectations, which together with more traditional concerns about personal identity, appear to have elevated levels of stress, with adverse consequences for mental health.     

The Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for the Early Years (zero to four years of age) and screen time among children from Kingston,Ontario

OBJECTIVES

To assess the proportion of children meeting the new Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for the Early Years (zero to four years of age) and to describe parental attitudes toward and barriers to reducing screen time.

METHODS:

Participants included 657 children zero to four years of age from the Kingston, Ontario, area. From May to September 2011, parents completed a questionnaire regarding their child’s screen time and their attitudes toward and barriers to reducing their child’s screen time.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:

Approximately 32% of children younger than two years of age engaged in no screen time and approximately 46% of children two to four years of age engaged in <1 h per day; thereby, meeting the recommendations of the new guidelines. Most parents believed that their child did not engage in excessive screen time. Physicians and other health professionals should inform parents of these new guidelines and provide strategies to help their children meet targets.