Joint Hypermobility Classes in 9-Year-Old Children from the General Population and Anxiety Symptoms
Open accessAbstract
Objective To obtain joint hypermobility classes in children from the general population and to study their characteristics in relation to anxiety measures. Methods A total of 336 nine-year-old children from the general population were clinically assessed through 9 items of hypermobility, and their parents reported about the severity of anxiety symptoms. Latent class analysis was estimated to group the children according to the presence of hypermobility symptoms, and the obtained classes were related to anxiety. Results A 2-class solution, labeled as high hypermobility and low hypermobility, best fitted the data. Children in the high hypermobility group scored higher in separation anxiety, social phobia, physical injury fears, and total anxiety than did those in the low group. When applying the threshold reference scores to the total anxiety score, 7.4% of children in the high hypermobility group versus 6% in the low group were reported to experience clinical elevations on total anxiety. Conclusion High symptoms of hypermobility are associated with higher scores in anxiety symptoms in children from the general population. Children with frequent symptoms of hypermobility may benefit from screening for anxiety symptoms because a subset of them are experiencing clinical elevations and may need comprehensive physical and psychological treatment.
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In children and adolescents, there remains little information about how joint hypermobility might be associated with common psychiatric conditions.
“In children and adolescents, there remains little information about how joint hypermobility might be associated with common psychiatric conditions.28”
From Variant connective tissue (joint hypermobility) and its relevance to depression and anxiety in adolescents: a cohort-based case–control study (2022) · cites this paper as [28]
There are varying levels of evidence for a link between joint hypermobility and ASD, DCD and anxiety disorders in child cohorts.
“Additionally, there are varying levels of evidence for a link with ASD, 20,22,23 DCD 24–28 and anxiety disorders. 29,30”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [20]
In child cohorts, the most robust relationship with joint hypermobility is for ADHD.
“With regard to psychiatry, the most robust relationship with joint hypermobility in child cohorts is for ADHD. 18–21”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [20]
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“28 However, a recent cross-sectional case– control study compared 93 children between the ages of 8 and 15 years with anxiety disorders with 100 age-matched and sex-matched children without anxiety disorders, and found that according to Beighton criteria, 52.7% of children with anxiety disorders…”
BackgroundInfluentialGlans, M. R., Aziz, A., Kindgren, E., Knez, R., Landgren, M., & Landgren, V. (2025) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2025.10881
- Authors
- Ezpeleta, L., Navarro, J. B., Osa, N. D. L., Penelo, E., & Bulbena, A.
- Affiliations
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;
- Corresponding author
- Ezpeleta, Lourdes
- Navarro, José Blas
- Penelo, Eva
- Venue
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
- Published
- 2018-07
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 481-488
- ISSN
- 0196-206X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2807415669
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 0.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- ddd.uab.cat
- Licence
- public-domain
- Locations
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Connective tissue disorders research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- joint hypermobility, childhood anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety disorder, anxiety screening, nine-year-old children, latent class analysis
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Joint Instability, Male, Spain, Comorbidity
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