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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Cognitive coping and childhood anxiety disorders
Jeroen S Legerstee1, Nadia Garnefski, Francine C Jellesma
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|September 4, 2009
Summary
Anxiety-disordered children use more maladaptive cognitive coping strategies like catastrophizing and rumination compared to non-anxious peers. These findings highlight cognitive coping as a key target for childhood anxiety interventions.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Childhood anxiety disorders are prevalent and impact emotional regulation.
- Cognitive coping strategies play a crucial role in managing negative life events.
- Understanding these strategies can inform therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive coping strategies between children with anxiety disorders and non-anxious children.
- To examine differences in cognitive coping among specific childhood anxiety disorders.
- To identify maladaptive and adaptive coping mechanisms in anxious youth.
Main Methods:
- A clinical sample of 131 anxiety-disordered children and 452 non-anxious children participated.
- The Child version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-k) was administered.
- Childhood anxiety disorders were assessed using structured clinical interviews.
Main Results:
- Anxiety-disordered children reported more lifetime negative life events.
- After adjustment for negative life events, anxious children used more catastrophizing and rumination.
- Anxious children used less positive reappraisal and refocus on planning.
- No significant coping differences were found between specific anxiety disorders.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety-disordered children employ more maladaptive and fewer adaptive cognitive coping strategies.
- Cognitive coping strategies are significantly different in anxious versus non-anxious children.
- Cognitive coping represents a promising target for the prevention and treatment of childhood anxiety.
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