Raymond Catherine, Cernik Rebecca, Beaudin Myriam, Arcand Maryse, Pichette Florence, Marin Marie-France
Department of Psychology, Université du Québec À Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Stress, Trauma, Emotion, Anxiety, and Memory (STEAM) Lab, Research Centre of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 12;14(1):6025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55542-3.
This study aimed to investigate whether attentional bias to threat, commonly observed in clinically anxious children, also manifests in healthy children, potentially aiding the early detection of at-risk individuals. Additionally, it sought to explore the moderating role of parent-child attachment security on the association between vulnerability factors (anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, perseverative cognitions) as indicators of vulnerability to anxiety, and attentional bias towards threat in healthy children. A total of 95 children aged 8 to 12 years completed the Visual Search Task to assess attentional bias. Vulnerability to anxiety was measured using a composite score derived from the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children, and Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire. Parent-child attachment security was assessed using the Security Scale-Child Self-Report. Analyses revealed that higher vulnerability to anxiety was associated with faster detection of anger-related stimuli compared to neutral ones, and this association was further influenced by high maternal security. These findings in healthy children suggest an interaction between specific factors related to anxiety vulnerability and the security of the mother-child relationship, leading to cognitive patterns resembling those seen in clinically anxious individuals. These results hold promise for early identification of children at risk of developing anxiety disorders.
本研究旨在调查临床上焦虑儿童中常见的对威胁的注意偏向是否也存在于健康儿童中，这可能有助于早期发现有风险的个体。此外，该研究还试图探讨亲子依恋安全性在作为焦虑易感性指标的脆弱因素（焦虑敏感性、对不确定性的不耐受、执着性认知）与健康儿童对威胁的注意偏向之间的关联中所起的调节作用。共有95名8至12岁的儿童完成了视觉搜索任务以评估注意偏向。使用从儿童焦虑敏感性指数、儿童不确定性不耐受量表和执着性思维问卷得出的综合分数来衡量焦虑易感性。使用安全感量表-儿童自我报告来评估亲子依恋安全性。分析表明，与中性刺激相比，焦虑易感性较高与更快检测到与愤怒相关的刺激有关，并且这种关联进一步受到高母亲安全感的影响。健康儿童的这些发现表明，与焦虑易感性相关的特定因素与母婴关系的安全性之间存在相互作用，导致出现类似于临床上焦虑个体的认知模式。这些结果为早期识别有患焦虑症风险的儿童带来了希望。
