Correction to: Neurocognitive functioning and health‑related quality of life of children after pediatric intensive care admission: a systematic review

Quality of Life Research -     

Cognitive, and behavioural and emotional functioning of young children awaiting elective cardiac surgery or catheter intervention

AIMS: To assess the cognitive, and behavioural and emotional functioning of children aged 3 months to 7 years shortly before elective cardiac surgery or elective interventional catheterisation. METHODS: We used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, to measure cognitive functioning. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess behavioural and emotional problems. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in mean cognitive scores for children scheduled for cardiac surgery or interventional catheterisation when compared with reference groups. This was also the case for children awaiting cardiac surgery as opposed to those awaiting interventional catheterisation, and for those below as compared to those above the age of 2.5 years. Overall, our results regarding behavioural and emotional functioning were comparable to those of normative reference groups. The only difference found was that the children scheduled for cardiac surgery and aged from 2 to 3 years had significantly higher scores on the Child Behavior Checklist than did peers from normative groups. CONCLUSION: Cognitive, and behavioural and emotional functioning, both for young children awaiting elective cardiac surgery and interventional catheterisation, can be considered as quite favourable.     

Cognitive coping in anxiety-disordered adolescents

The present study investigated differences in cognitive coping strategies between anxiety-disordered and non-anxious adolescents. In addition, the interaction effect with gender as well as differences between specific anxiety diagnoses was examined. A clinical sample of 159 anxiety-disordered adolescents and a general community sample of 370 non-anxious adolescents were recruited. Nine cognitive coping strategies were assessed in all adolescents (aged 12-16 years). Results showed that anxiety-disordered adolescents had significantly higher scores on most of the cognitive coping strategies than non-anxious adolescents. The cognitive coping strategies rumination, self-blame and catastrophizing accounted for most of the variance. Gender did not modify the results. Further analyses within the anxiety-disordered sample indicated that adolescents with a generalized anxiety disorder scored significantly higher on rumination, but not on other cognitive coping strategies, than social phobic adolescents. The results suggest that cognitive coping is a valuable target for psychological assessment and treatment in adolescents.     

Cognitive coping and childhood anxiety disorders

To investigate differences in cognitive coping strategies between anxiety-disordered and non-anxious 9–11-year-old children. Additionally, differences in cognitive coping between specific anxiety disorders were examined. A clinical sample of 131 anxiety-disordered children and a general population sample of 452 non-anxious children were gathered. All children filled out the child version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-k). Structured clinical interviews were used to assess childhood anxiety disorders. Results showed that anxiety-disordered children experience significantly more ‘lifetime’ negative life events than non-anxious children. Adjusted for the ‘lifetime’ experience of negative life events, anxiety-disordered children scored significantly higher on the strategies catastrophizing and rumination, and significantly lower on the strategies positive reappraisal and refocus on planning than non-anxious children. No significant differences in cognitive coping were found between children with specific anxiety disorders. Anxiety-disordered children employ significantly more maladaptive and less adaptive cognitive coping strategies in response to negative life events than non-anxious children. The results suggest that cognitive coping is a valuable target for prevention and treatment of childhood anxiety problems.     

Prediction of behavioural and emotional problems in children and adolescents with operated congenital heart disease

Aims The aim of the present study was to determine which medicalvariables were predictors of long-term behavioural/emotionaloutcome after surgical correction for congenital heart diseasein infancy and childhood. Methods The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to predict parent-reportedbehavioural/emotional problems in 125 10–15 year-old congenitalheart disease children from: (1) biographical status (2) medicalhistory (3) heart surgery (4) short-term post-operative courseand (5) number of heart operations and (6) extra cardiac concomitantanomalies. Results Higher CBCL total problem scores at follow-up were associatedwith a greater number of heart oper-ations and deep hypothermiccirculatory arrest (<22°). ‘Internalizing problems’were associated with a greater number of heart operations, deephypothermic circulatory arrest, a short gestational age, lowsystemic oxygen saturation, and older age at surgical repair.‘Externalizing problems’ were associated with agreater number of heart operations only. Conclusion Several medical variables were significant predictors and canbe used to identify those congenital heart disease childrenwho are at risk of long-term behavioural/emotional maladjustment.     

Study design of 'FRIENDS for Life': process and effect evaluation of an indicated school-based prevention programme for childhood anxiety and depression

Background  

Anxiety disorders and depression are highly prevalent in children and affect their current and future functioning. 'FRIENDS for Life' is a cognitive-behavioural programme teaching children skills to cope more effectively with feelings of anxiety and depression. Although 'FRIENDS for Life' is increasingly being implemented at Dutch schools, its effectiveness as a preventive intervention in Dutch schools has never been investigated. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 'FRIENDS for Life' as an indicated school-based prevention programme for children with early or mild signs of anxiety or depression.     

Systematic review of the effects of physical exercise training programmes in children and young adults with congenital heart disease

Background

Most patients with congenital heart disease (ConHD) do not perform regular physical exercise. Consensus reports have stated that exercise should be encouraged and regularly performed in these patients, but this is not common practise. We reviewed the literature on actual evidence for either negative or positive effects of physical exercise training programmes in children and young adults with ConHD.

Methods

Using the Medline database, we systematically searched for articles on physical exercise training programmes in ConHD.

Results

A total of 31 articles met all inclusion criteria; in total, 621 subjects (age range 4 to 45 years) were included.Most studies used training programmes with a duration of 12 weeks. On average, the number of training sessions was 3 times per week. In 12 studies, training intensity was set at a percentage of peak heart rate.Outcome measures reported were PeakVO₂, activity levels and muscle strength. Twenty-three studies (72%) found a significant positive change in the main outcome measure after the physical exercise training period. None of the studies reported negative findings related to physical exercise training in ConHD. Cardiac effects have hardly been studied.

Conclusion

In most studies, participation in a physical exercise training programme was safe and improved fitness in children and young adults with ConHD. We recommend that patients with ConHD participate in physical exercise training. Cardiac effects need to be studied more extensively.