The prevalence of anxiety in a group of 7 to 13 year old learners in the Western Cape

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:A study of the relevant literature revealed anxiety disorders to be of the most prevalentpsychiatric disorders of childhood. Prevalence is put at between1 % and 20% in differentstudies. The purpose of this study was to gather data regarding the prevalence ofanxiety in a group of learners in the Western Cape. Literature regarding the differentetiological theories of anxiety, the classification of anxiety disorders, their prevalence,the living conditions of the child in South Africa and the assessment of anxiety inchildren were explored. The study further examined DSM-IV defined anxiety disordersymptoms in a large community sample of 7 to 13 year old learners in the WesternCape. This was done by a simple survey approach, using quantitative measures. Twoself-report questionnaires were used, ie the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Resultsshowed that the psychometric properties of the SCAS and the SCARED were moderate(convergent validity) to sufficient (reliability). The original factor structure of the SCASand the SCARED did not emerge in this sample of learners, although factor analysis didyield evidence of the presence of a number of the hypothesised anxiety categories (iesocial phobia, panic disorder, fears and generalised anxiety disorder). Results alsoindicated that a high percentage of the subjects reported serious anxiety symptoms,namely 22% on the SCAS and 25.6% on the SCARED. The most common anxietysymptoms of the learners in the Western Cape pertained to generalised anxietydisorder, separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.Studying the content of the most common responses revealed that symptoms referringto compulsive behaviours and physical separation from the parents were frequent.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University