Leiden University Student Repository

Thakoersingh, Warsha (2023)

De samenhang van stressful life events tussen angst en regulatieproblemen bij kinderen met het Klinefeltersyndroom (47, XXY)

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

Children with Klinefelter may face difficulties in their later life when it comes to social emotional development and behavior problems (Bruining et al., 2009). This could lead to behavior- and emotion regulation problems including anxiety. During a stressful life event it is crucial to be able to control/use cognitive emotion regulation strategies (Thompson, 1994). If this fails, it can lead to behavior- or social development problems. Although separate results from previous studies suggest a link between anxiety, regulation problems and stressful life events, this possible coherence has not been studied yet for Klinefelter children. Method: To investigate this, 95 children in the age of 1-7 years (of which 51 children with Klinefelter) and their parents participated in a series of questionnaires (Child Behavior Checklist, Children’s Behavior-/Early Childhood Behavior-/VMG Life Events Questionnaire). Results: Children with Klinefelter were found to be more anxious and showed a less...Show moreChildren with Klinefelter may face difficulties in their later life when it comes to social emotional development and behavior problems (Bruining et al., 2009). This could lead to behavior- and emotion regulation problems including anxiety. During a stressful life event it is crucial to be able to control/use cognitive emotion regulation strategies (Thompson, 1994). If this fails, it can lead to behavior- or social development problems. Although separate results from previous studies suggest a link between anxiety, regulation problems and stressful life events, this possible coherence has not been studied yet for Klinefelter children. Method: To investigate this, 95 children in the age of 1-7 years (of which 51 children with Klinefelter) and their parents participated in a series of questionnaires (Child Behavior Checklist, Children’s Behavior-/Early Childhood Behavior-/VMG Life Events Questionnaire). Results: Children with Klinefelter were found to be more anxious and showed a less expressive internal regulation state compared to the control group, according to their parents. According to the CBQ/ECBQ Reactivity/Soothability subscale results, children with Klinefelter showed less expressive (blunted) emotions when they were in pain, upset or experienced an exciting activity/event. In addition, stressful life events turned out to be a predictor for anxious depressed behavior in children with Klinefelter. There was also no interaction found for the degree of stressful life events and anxious/depressed or reactivity/soothability behavior within the Klinefelter- or control group. Conclusion: Children with Klinefelter experience more anxiety/depressed behavior and less expressive internal regulation state than children without Klinefelter. An association between stressful life events and anxiety/depressed behavior is found within children with Klinefelter, but there is no evidence found for a coherence between stressful life events and regulation problems. Furthermore, no interaction was found between the degree of stressful life events and anxious/depressed or reactivity/soothability behavior within the Klinefelter- or control group.Show less

Klinefelter

XXY

samenhang

stressful live events

angst

regulatieproblemen

Author

Thakoersingh, Warsha

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Chromosome Aneuploidy (Klinefelter; XXY)

Supervisors

Rijn, S. van

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl