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Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
No distinctions between different types of anxiety symptoms in pre-adolescents from the general population
Robert F Ferdinand1, Natasja D J van Lang, Johan Ormel
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands. r.f.ferdinand@erasmusmc.nl
Abstract:
Studies aimed at anxiety symptoms in children from the general population samples often make distinctions between symptoms of Separation Anxiety, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Given the high comorbidity rates between these disorders, the usefulness of such distinctions is questionable. The present study was conducted to investigate which homogenous subgroups of children aged 10-12 years can be identified, according to the presence and frequencies of different types of anxiety. A general population sample of 2210 children was assessed with the RCADS, a self-report questionnaire. Latent class analysis did not yield classes of children with symptoms of one anxiety disorder, without symptoms of another anxiety disorder. Instead, five classes of children were identified that differed in the frequency of anxiety symptoms, irrespective of the type of anxiety. Results indicate that, in a general population sample, it may not be useful to discern children with different types of anxiety symptoms.
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