Childhood anxiety represents a significant mental health concern, with behavioural inhibition identified as a major risk factor. In Australia, the Cool Little Kids (CLK) training program has been...Show moreChildhood anxiety represents a significant mental health concern, with behavioural inhibition identified as a major risk factor. In Australia, the Cool Little Kids (CLK) training program has been proven to be an effective preventive intervention for parents of behaviourally inhibited children. Engagement is crucial to the success of parent training programs; however, measuring it can be a challenge. This study utilizes the constructs of ‘attendance’ and ‘within-session active participation’ to gauge engagement. Single parent status and parental anxiety seem to be associated with engagement and treatment outcome. The study hypothesized that attendance, within-session active participation, single parent status, and parental anxiety would serve as predictors of treatment outcomes. It also explored whether attendance and within-session active participation moderated the relationships between single parent status and treatment outcomes, as well as between parental anxiety symptoms and treatment outcomes. The study involved 43 Dutch parents who participated in the intervention group of the longitudinal CLK research project, which examines the effectiveness of the CLK training delivered online in The Netherlands. Initial analyses included four univariate linear regressions, followed by four moderation analyses. The findings indicated that single parent status and parental anxiety are significant predictors of treatment outcomes. However, attendance and within-session active participation did not predict treatment outcomes, and no moderating effects were observed. Based on these findings, suggestions for future research and recommendations for the implementation of the CLK training are provided.Show less
Background: The development of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a complex aetiological pathway. Recent studies revealed that the verbal informational pathway influences children’s anxiety beliefs...Show moreBackground: The development of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a complex aetiological pathway. Recent studies revealed that the verbal informational pathway influences children’s anxiety beliefs and behaviours towards novel animals. This study incorporated this to a social context by investigating the effect of parental verbal expression of threat/anxiety (versus safety) on the avoidance behaviour towards strangers in children. In addition, this study investigated if the temperamental construct behavioural inhibition (BI) moderated this effect. Methods: A community sample of 71 children aged between 9-to-14 participated with their primary caregiver by visiting the lab. Both parents had to fill in online questionnaires about their personal anxiety levels and child’s anxiety and temperamental levels. Whilst the child filled in questionnaires about their anxiety and temperamental levels. During the lab visit the caregiver provided verbal threat/anxiety (versus safety) information to their child about two strangers that would watch their child perform social tasks. The effect of this verbal manipulation was tested by observing the child’s avoidance behaviour during these social tasks. Results: The child’s avoidance behaviour did not significantly differ during the social tasks between the stranger paired with the threat/anxiety versus safe condition. However, children who reported more BI sensitivity showed more avoidance behaviour independent of the verbal manipulation. Conclusions: The type of verbal information transmitted by parents did not influence the child’s avoidance behaviour towards strangers. In addition, this study confirmed the existing evidence that BI is a risk factor for developing SAD behaviour.Show less
