Biomedical subjects

Peter Muris

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Muris.

59 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

DSM-IV-defined anxiety disorder symptoms in South African children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine -defined anxiety disorder symptoms in a large sample of normal South African schoolchildren. METHOD: Children completed two self-report questionnaires: the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the 41-item version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). RESULTS: Psychometric properties of the SCAS and the SCARED were moderate (convergent validity) to sufficient (reliability). Factor analyses yielded evidence for the presence of a number of hypothesized anxiety categories (i.e., social phobia, panic disorder, fears, and generalized anxiety disorder). Furthermore, anxiety levels of South African children were higher than those of Western (i.e., Dutch) children. Differences were found with regard to the content of prevalent anxiety symptoms among South African and Western children. CONCLUSION: Although psychometric properties of the SCAS and the SCARED in South African children somewhat deviated from those obtained in Western countries, both scales seem to be useful for assessing childhood anxiety symptoms in this country.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed2002

Attachment style and self-reported aggression.

The present study examined the relationship between attachment style and self-reported aggression in a sample of young women (N = 139). Analysis showed that 27.3% of the subjects classified themselves as insecurely, i.e., avoidantly or ambivalently, attached by means of the Adult Attachment Questionnaire of Hazan and Shaver. In addition, the insecurely attached subjects had elevated anger and hostility compared to securely attached subjects.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Parental rearing behaviors and worry of normal adolescents.

Associations between scores on scales of perceived parental rearing behaviors and worry were examined for 220 adolescents. Analysis showed that anxious rearing and overprotection of both mother and father were significantly related to worry.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Symptoms of anxiety disorders and teacher-reported school functioning of normal children.

Correlations between scores on the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, a questionnaire for measuring symptoms of anxiety disorders and a report of school functioning by teachers were computed for 317 primary school children and 13 teachers in The Netherlands. Analysis showed a small but significant negative correlation between scores for total anxiety and school functioning (r = -.20, p < .001). The finding is consistent with the notion that high symptoms indicating anxiety disorders in children are accompanied by less optimal functioning in school.

Achievement↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a preliminary comparison between cognitive-behavioral group therapy and a psychological placebo intervention.

The present study examined the efficacy of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. Thirty high-anxious children (aged 9-12 years) were assigned to either (a) group CBT (n = 10), (b) a psychological placebo intervention (i.e., emotional disclosure [ED]; n = 10), or (c) a no-treatment control condition (n = 10). Therapy outcome measures (i.e., children's self-report of anxiety disorders symptoms, depression, and trait anxiety) were obtained three months before treatment, at pretreatment, and at posttreatment. Results showed that levels of psychopathological symptoms remained relatively stable during the three months preceding treatment. Most importantly, pretreatment-posttreatment comparisons indicated that CBT was superior to ED and the no-treatment control condition. That is, only in the CBT condition significant reductions of anxiety disorders symptoms, trait anxiety, and depression were observed. These findings can be taken as further evidence for the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders.

Anxiety Disorders↗