Cognitive coping in anxiety-disordered adolescents.
The present study investigated differences in cognitive coping strategies between anxiety-disordered and non-anxious adolescents. In addition, the interaction effect with gender as well as differences between specific anxiety diagnoses was examined. A clinical sample of 159 anxiety-disordered adolescents and a general community sample of 370 non-anxious adolescents were recruited. Nine cognitive coping strategies were assessed in all adolescents (aged 12-16 years). Results showed that anxiety-disordered adolescents had significantly higher scores on most of the cognitive coping strategies than non-anxious adolescents. The cognitive coping strategies rumination, self-blame and catastrophizing accounted for most of the variance. Gender did not modify the results. Further analyses within the anxiety-disordered sample indicated that adolescents with a generalized anxiety disorder scored significantly higher on rumination, but not on other cognitive coping strategies, than social phobic adolescents. The results suggest that cognitive coping is a valuable target for psychological assessment and treatment in adolescents.
Legerstee
Jeroen S
JS
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical University Centre Rotterdam/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Garnefski
Nadia
N
Verhulst
Frank C
FC
Utens
Elisabeth M W J
EM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires