Teachers’ recognition of anxiety and somatic symptoms in their pupils

Neil, Louise; Smith, Maurice R.

doi:10.1002/pits.22055

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Anxiety disorders are common among children and adolescents [1,3,4]. Reported rates of anxiety among children and adolescents were 31.9% in the United States (age: 13-18 years) [5], 26.41% in Spain (age: 8-17 years) [6], 22.5% in Chile (age: 4-18 years) [7], 21.9% in Iran [4], and 36.7% in India (secondary school children) [8]. Anxiety disorders that remain undetected and untreated in childhood and adolescence may affect well-being in adulthood, which challenges earlier views that high levels of anxiety are developmentally normal [9,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite anxiety being common and debilitating in children and adolescents, it frequently remains unidentified and untreated [24]. For example, a previous study found teachers had limited sensitivity to variations in students' levels of anxiety symptoms, and often struggled to identify students that required targeted interventions or additional classroom support [26]. Research conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that correct identification of mental health problems and accurate identification of appropriate evidence-based interventions for affected children was limited among healthcare professionals [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

et al. 2020

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Background: Anxiety disorders are common among children and adolescents. However, there is a paucity of upto-date data on the prevalence and correlates of anxiety-related disorders among children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of specific anxiety-related disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety, social anxiety) in the UAE, and identify correlations between these disorders and adolescents' demographic variables. Participants were 968 adolescents aged 13-18 years attending secondary schools across the UAE. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. We collected demographic information and data about participants' anxiety levels. Anxiety was assessed using the Arabic and English versions of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders scale. Univariate analyses (independent sample t-tests and analysis of variance) were performed to evaluate factors affecting participants' anxiety scores. Chi-square tests were used to compare factors associated with anxiety disorders. Results: Participants' mean age was 16 ± 1.8 years, and 65.8% were female. The overall prevalence of anxiety disorders was 28%, with this being significantly higher in girls (33.6%) than boys (17.2%) (p < 0.0001). Participants aged < 16 years had higher generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and social anxiety scores compared with those aged ≥16 years (p ≤ 0.05). Those from households with a maid had significantly higher generalized anxiety, panic disorder, separation anxiety, and significant school avoidance scores than those without a maid (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, participants from middle and low economic backgrounds had higher separation anxiety scores compared with children from high economic backgrounds (p ≤ 0.05). The multivariate analysis showed the main associated factors with anxiety were gender (being female, p < 0.001) and caregiver (other than mother and father together, p < 0.001).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

et al. 2020

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“…Anxiety disorders have also been associated with headaches, sleep di culties, stuttering and other speech disorders [47][48][49], and interfere with a young person's social, school, and family life [19,26]. This means it is important for these disorders to be identi ed and treated early.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite anxiety being common and debilitating in children and adolescents, it frequently remains unidenti ed and untreated [24]. For example, a previous study found teachers had limited sensitivity to variations in students' levels of anxiety symptoms, and often struggled to identify students that required targeted interventions or additional classroom support [26]. Research conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that correct identi cation of mental health problems and accurate identi cation of appropriate evidence-based interventions for affected children was limited among healthcare professionals [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

Al‐Yateem

Bani‐Issa

Rossiter

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Anxiety disorders are common among children and adolescents. However, there is a paucity of up-to-date data on the prevalence and correlates of anxiety-related disorders among children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of specific anxiety-related disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety, social anxiety) in the UAE, and identify correlations between these disorders and adolescents’ demographic variables. Participants were 968 adolescents aged 13–18 years attending secondary schools across the UAE. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. We collected demographic information and data about participants’ anxiety levels. Anxiety was assessed using the Arabic and English versions of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders scale. Univariate analyses (independent sample t-tests and analysis of variance) were performed to evaluate factors affecting participants’ anxiety scores. Chi-square tests were used to compare factors associated with anxiety disorders.Results: Participants’ mean age was 16±1.8 years, and 65.8% were female. The overall prevalence of anxiety disorders was 28%, with this being significantly higher in girls (33.6%) than boys (17.2%) (p<0.0001). Participants aged <16 years had higher generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and social anxiety scores compared with those aged ≥16 years (p≤0.05). Those from households with a maid had significantly higher generalized anxiety, panic disorder, separation anxiety, and significant school avoidance scores than those without a maid (p≤0.05). In addition, participants from middle and low economic backgrounds had higher separation anxiety scores compared with children from high economic backgrounds (p≤0.05). The multivariate analysis showed the main associated factors with anxiety were gender (being female, p<0.001) and caregiver (other than mother and father together, p<0.001). Conclusions: We found a high incidence of anxiety-related disorders among school-aged adolescents in the UAE, with girls being more affected than boys. This suggests that age-appropriate initiatives are urgently needed to reduce the high rate of anxiety-related disorders. It may also be necessary to further investigate the two main associated factors with anxiety identified in this study (being female and non-parental caregivers).

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“…Parents and teachers show differences in recognition of various symptoms and tend to underdetect or misattribute some more than the others. [33][34][35][36] Given the limited time available to understand and act on the breadth of disclosed problems, a GP's first interpretation of the presented problems might be pivotal in successfully navigating a consultation and recognising anxiety in children. The decision-making literature highlights the importance of the first diagnostic opinion and suggests that amendments after this point are often insufficient ('anchoring bias').…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of anxiety disorders in children: a cross-sectional vignette-based survey among general practitioners

Aydın¹,

Crone

Siebelink³

et al. 2020

BMJ Open

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ObjectiveTo quantify general practitioners’ (GPs) sensitivity to anxiety disorders (ADs) when confronted with the range of symptoms common to children with ADs. Also, to explore GPs’ conscious preferences and implicit tendencies for referral of children with ADs to mental healthcare.Design and settingIn a cross-sectional vignette-based survey, all attendees of a Dutch continuing medical education conference for primary care physicians were presented with subtitled audio fragments of five vignettes that we constructed to mimic symptom presentation of children with ADs in general practice. We asked attendees to select per vignette the most plausible diagnoses and most adequate referral option, and for their general referral preferences when they suspect each of the most common mental health problems.ParticipantsA sample of 229 GPs, resulting in a total of 1128 vignette evaluations.Main outcome measureGPs’ selection rate of ADs in the five vignettes compared with a benchmark provided by mental health professionals (MHPs).ResultsOverall, recognition of ADs was less likely in GPs compared with MHPs (OR=0.26, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.46). GPs varied in their recognition of anxiety, with 44.1% not once selecting anxiety as the probable presenting problem. When asked explicitly, 63.9% of the GPs reported that they would refer a child to mental healthcare when they suspect probable ADs. By contrast, only 12.0% of the GPs who recognised anxiety in the vignettes actually selected that referral option.ConclusionA significant fraction of GPs did not notice the depicted symptoms as anxiety. Despite the widespread prevalence of ADs, GPs seem to overlook anxiety already in their early diagnostic opinion. Improving GPs’ familiarity with initial symptom presentation, ADs’ base-rate, relevance and impact yields potential for timely recognition.

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Teachers’ recognition of anxiety and somatic symptoms in their pupils

Cited by 19 publications

References 51 publications

Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study

Recognition of anxiety disorders in children: a cross-sectional vignette-based survey among general practitioners

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