The relationship between anxiety disorder symptoms and negative self-statements in normal children

The current study examined the relationship between anxiety disorder symptoms and negative self-statements in a sample of normal children (N=119). Children were asked to complete the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire (NASSQ). Results showed that, in normal children, there is a positive relationship between anxiety disorder symptoms, as indexed by the SCARED, and negative self-statements, as measured by the NASSQ. In particular, anxious self-statements were more often present in children who exhibited relatively high levels of anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, depressive and anxious-depressive self-statements were found to be positively associated with the presence of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.