title: Emotional Awareness: A Transdiagnostic Predictor of Depression and Anxiety for Children and Adolescents.
abstract: Research increasingly suggests that low emotional awareness may be associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety among children and adolescents. However, because most studies have been cross-sectional, it has remained unclear whether low emotional awareness predicts subsequent internalizing symptoms. The current study used longitudinal data to examine the role of emotional awareness as a transdiagnostic predictor of subsequent symptoms of depression and anxiety. Participants were 204 youth (86 boys and 118 girls) ages 7-16 who completed self-report measures of emotional awareness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms at baseline, as well as measures of depression and anxiety symptoms every 3 months for a year. Results from hierarchical mixed effects modeling indicated that low baseline emotional awareness predicted both depressive and anxiety symptoms across a 1-year period. These findings suggest that emotional awareness may constitute a transdiagnostic factor, predicting symptoms of both depression and anxiety, and that emotional awareness training may be a beneficial component of treatment and prevention programs for youth depression and anxiety.
authors: a Department of Psychology , Rutgers University.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Kranzler
authors: b Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology , Rutgers University.
authors: Jami F
authors: JF
authors: Young
authors: c Department of Psychology , University of Denver.
authors: Benjamin L
authors: BL
authors: Hankin
authors: a Department of Psychology , Rutgers University.
authors: John R Z
authors: JR
authors: Abela
authors: a Department of Psychology , Rutgers University.
authors: Maurice J
authors: MJ
authors: Elias
authors: a Department of Psychology , Rutgers University.
authors: Edward A
authors: EA
authors: Selby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report