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Individual differences in attention control are proposed to contribute to anxiety and depression. However, self-reported attention control, assessed on the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), appears to be a heterogeneous construct with separate components of focusing (e.g., concentrating, resisting distraction) and shifting (e.g., flexible switching of attention between tasks). Moreover, these constructs are proposed to relate differently to anxiety and depression. Two studies are reported which investigated relationships between ACS focusing and shifting and (i) an objective behavioural measure of attention control from the Attention Network Task (ANT); and (ii) anxiety and depression symptoms in two separate non-clinical samples (Ns = 165 and 193). Results of Study 1 indicated that only ACS focusing was significantly associated with ANT attention control; with both measures reflecting resistance to distraction. In both studies, self-reported ability to focus attention (ACS focusing) was associated with lower anxiety; and greater attentional flexibility (ACS shifting) was associated with fewer depression symptoms.

Early identification of anxiety among youth is required to prevent them from going unrecognised and untreated by mental health professionals. A precise identification of the young person’s primary difficulty is also required to guide treatment programs. Availability of a valid and easily administrable assessment tool is crucial for identifying youth suffering from anxiety disorders. The purpose of the present study was therefore to examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). A total of 667 youth from community schools (4th through 9th grade) across Denmark participated in the study. The psychometric properties of the RCADS-DAN resembled those reported in US and Europe. Within scale reliability was excellent with Chronbach’s alpha of.96. All subscales also showed good to excellent internal reliability. The study provides convincing evidence that the RCADS-DAN is a valid assessment tool for screening anxiety in Danish youth.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood. Nonetheless, theoretical knowledge of the development and maintenance of childhood anxiety disorders is still in its infancy. Recently, research has begun to investigate the influence of emotion regulation on anxiety disorders. Although a relation between anxiety disorders and emotion regulation difficulties has been demonstrated, little attention has been given to the question of why anxious individuals have difficulties regulating their emotions. The present review examines the evidence of the link between emotion regulation and anxiety. It also explores the unique contributions of attachment style and dysfunctional emotion regulation to the development of anxiety disorders.

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Theoretical models of anxiety have been developed in adult populations. The applicability of these models in child samples has been assessed using downward extensions of the questionnaires developed to assess the proposed theoretical mechanisms. This poses a challenge, as children are still in the process of developing the skills that are being assessed. Psychometrically sound assessment tools are therefore needed for this developing population, in order to ensure the early detection of mechanisms leading to anxiety disorders in children. This study examined if metacognitions, which play a key role in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults, can also be reliably assessed in childhood. The study investigated the psychometric properties of the 30-item Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children (MCQ-C₃₀; Gerlach, Adam, Marschke, & Melfsen, 2008) in a national sample of 974 children and adolescents (538 girls) ages 9-17 years. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 5-factor subscale structure and a 2nd-order total scale factor, which corresponds with previous versions of the scale. MCQ-C₃₀ expectedly correlated significantly with anxiety symptoms and worry. Structural equation modeling revealed that both obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms regressed significantly onto the MCQ-C₃₀. We fitted separate models for children and adolescents, and no noticeable differences are suggested between the models. Female gender was, expectedly, associated with increased levels of general metacognitions. This gender effect was mediated by level of anxiety. Overall, the MCQ-C₃₀ exhibited acceptable psychometric properties in our community sample of children ages 9-17 years. Future studies should investigate the psychometric properties of the instrument in clinical samples and samples of younger children.