Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: negative affectivity and the utility of self-reports

Self-reported depression and anxiety were examined in 233 inpatient children diagnosed with either an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder. Depressed children reported more problems related to a loss of interest and low motivation, and they had a more negative view of themselves. Anxious children reported more worry about the future, their well-being, and the reactions of others. The groups did not differ in the degree of depressed affect reported in terms of being sad, lethargic, bothered by things, or feeling alone and isolated. These findings suggest that a general negative affectivity component is common to both anxiety and depression disorders and measures. The results demonstrate that anxiety and depression in children have distinguishing features that can be measured by common self-report instruments, and the findings indicate that 1 factor that may distinguish between anxiety and depression in children is positive affectivity.