This systematic review examined how anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders relate to academic achievement, school dropout, and academic self-concept. Studies with children or adult samples were included in seven meta-analyses (ks for number of samples ranged from 5 to 156; N’s for participants ranged from 780 to 37, 203). Results revealed significant but very small effect sizes for the relations between anxiety and overall academic achievement (r = −.06), language achievement (r = −.07), and math achievement (r = −.09), and a nonsignificant effect size for science achievement (r = −.01). Participants with greater anxiety were also significantly more likely to not complete high school (r = .11). They also had a poorer overall academic self-concept (r = −.25) and mathematics self-concept (r = −.30). Few methodological moderators (e.g., study design, age) were significant. Results show that anxiety does not strongly hinder academic achievement, but it is an important correlate of dropout and academic self-concept, which in turn could contribute to poorer life outcomes. Interventions and preventive programs need to consider ways to ameliorate the relations of anxiety with academic outcomes, especially school continuation and academic self-concept. Future studies should identify risk factors that may amplify these relations.

A variety of parent-child attachment measures, representing a range of conceptual approaches, have been adapted for use in middle childhood. A recent surge in studies using the new methods makes a comprehensive review of these measures timely. This systematic review of 67 studies covers representational and behavioral measures of parent-child attachment used with children 9-12 years old. This paper aims to evaluate parent-child attachment measurements with an emphasis on understanding their theoretical bases in addition to considering the available validity evidence. Findings identify several independently well-validated representational measures, and they highlight a continued need to investigate direct comparisons of the measures, as very little research has considered how the measures relate to each other, both conceptually and empirically. Behavioral measures of attachment in middle childhood, which are relatively new, are identified as potentially important in developing a better understanding of attachment measurement in this age group.

We examine the factorial structure of the Security Scale Questionnaire (SSQ), exploring measurement invariance across mother-father-child attachment relationships, child sex, and country. We used the new 21-item SSQ version that integrates both safe haven and secure base behaviors in a two factors structure. Participants were 457 children (224 girls and 233 boys), ranging from 9 to 14 years old (M = 10.84, SD = 1.02) from Portuguese and USA samples. We confirmed the SSQ's two-factor structure, although four items were unrelated to the latent structure and excluded from the final model. Results showed that SSQ can be used to study both mother/child and father/child attachment relationships. Multi-group analyses suggested measurement invariance between boys and girls and between Portuguese and USA samples. Our findings suggest that the SSQ can be considered a valid and cost-effective tool to measure perceived attachment security in middle childhood for both mother/child and father/child relationships. ARTICLE HISTORY

Maternal substance use has often been associated with insecure and disorganized child attachment. We evaluated this association with a meta-analysis of young children and, further, systematically reviewed mediating and moderating factors between maternal substance use and child attachment. We performed a systematic database search of quantitative English language studies on child attachment that included substance-using mothers and their children below 6 years of age. Eleven studies (N = 1,841) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis of attachment security and seven (N = 1,589) studies were included in the meta-analysis of attachment disorganization. We found that maternal substance use was negatively associated with secure attachment in children, but the effect size was small (r = −.10). The association with disorganized attachment was not significant (r = .15). Related to moderating and mediating factors (k = 6), we found evidence on the role of teratogenic and sociological factors on child attachment. Most importantly, the impact of cumulative risks was vital. However, literature was scarce, and studies varied in risk of bias, leaving many unanswered questions on other potential factors underlying the development of attachment in these high-risk children. We discuss the results considering clinical implications and future directions.

Companion animals, including pet dogs, can be sources of support and potentially contribute to children’s competence and adjustment. The goal of this paper is to examine whether children’s pet dog relationships are related to their competence and adjustment after accounting for relationships with parents and friends and demographic factors. We distinguished three qualities of child-pet dog relationships – positive pet relationship qualities, friction, and pets as substitutes for people – and examined them in relation to children’s thriving, school academic performance, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The sample included 115 children (M age = 10.93, 57 girls and 58 boys) who completed questionnaires about the quality of their relationship with a pet dog, the positive and negative qualities of a best friendship, and the security of attachments to parents. To measure child competence, children reported their thriving and parents reported children’s school academic performance. To measure adjustment, parents and teachers reported child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Positive pet relationship qualities were related to a higher competence. Friction and pets as substitutes were related to lower competence and adjustment, although some findings varied by the reporter or after controlling for other factors. Pet relationship quality uniquely contributed to some child outcomes, although moderation analyses did not provide any evidence that pet dog relationships compensate for low-quality friendships or insecure parental attachments. Collectively, the findings suggest that relationships with pets may augment but not override the impact of relationships with parents and friends.