Psychosocial outcomes of anxious first graders: a seven-year follow-up

Abstract

This study examined the concurrent and long-term psychosocial outcomes associated with anxiety symptoms among a community sample of predominately low-income African Americans (N = 149; 72 females). We classified first graders as high or low anxious using child, parent, and teacher reports. Academic, social, and psychological outcomes were assessed in the first and eighth grades. Logistic regressions with concurrent data revealed that highly anxious children were significantly more likely to score lower on measures of academic achievement and peer acceptance, but higher on measures of depression and aggression compared to their low-anxious peers. Longitudinal analyses revealed that high-anxious first graders, compared to their lowanxious peers, scored significantly lower on measures of academic achievement, aggression, and peer acceptance; and higher on measures of anxiety and depression in the eighth grade. Importantly, outcomes varied depending on informant. Findings suggest that, similar to European American youth, early-onset anxious symptoms in African American children are associated with both concurrent and long-term academic, social, and psychological difficulties.

Cognitive findings in childhood anxiety: Translations for clinical practice

“…Second, there is evidence that anxiety can influence academic performance. Longitudinally, Grover, Ginsburg, and Ialongo [6] found that children with high trait anxiety in the first grade of school scored lower on measures of academic achievement in eighth grade. Third, in order to benefit from CBT children require certain cognitive abilities, and children with deficits in these abilities (for example, those with executive function deficits) may respond less optimally to this treatment [7].…”

Family Functioning and Anxiety in School Age Children: The Mediating Role of Control Cognitions

“…Overall, the literature suggests that anxiety disorders are fairly prevalent, ranging from 25-31.4% (Kessler et al, 2009) and have a widespread impact on children's short-and long-term functioning (Bolton et al, 2006;Egger, Costello, & Angold, 2003;Grover, Ginsburg, & Ialongo, 2007;Grover, Ginsburg, & Ialongo, 2005;Mellon & Moutavelis, 2007;Schnierring, Hudson, & Rapee, 2000;Stevenson-Hinde et al, 2007).…”

A culturally-sensitive model of the development of child anxiety.

“…Moreover, children who were classified as highly anxious during the first grade were more likely to report higher levels of depression and anxiety, but lower levels of academic performance, peer acceptance, and aggression in the eighth grade. Consistent with results from studies on non-Hispanic White samples, African American children who are highly anxious appear to demonstrate patterns of both concurrent and long-term impairment associated with anxiety in a number of functional domains (Grover et al, 2007).…”

“…Research has also examined the psychosocial outcomes associated with anxiety in African American children. Using a community sample primarily composed of African American youth (87.9%), Grover, Ginsburg, and Ialongo (2007) examined both concurrent and long-term psychosocial correlates of anxiety. Outcome assessments across a number of domains (i.e., social, academic, psychological) were conducted in the first and eighth grades, and results from this study indicated that increased anxiety was significantly negatively related to concurrent ratings of academic achievement and peer acceptance and significantly positively associated with concurrent levels of depression and aggression.…”