The role of anxiety symptoms in school performance in a community sample of children and adolescents
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BACKGROUND: Anxiety symptoms are relatively common among children and adolescents and can interfere with functioning. The prevalence of anxiety and the relationship between anxiety and school performance were examined among elementary, middle, and high school students. METHODS: Samples of elementary (N = 131, age 8-10 years), middle (N = 267, age 11-13 years), and high school (N = 80, age 14-16 years) children were recruited from four public schools in a predominantly middle-class community in Catania, Italy. Children completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). T-scores were computed for the MASC total scores, and considered to be in the anxious range if 65 or above. Current academic grades were obtained from school records. RESULTS: Of the 478 children, 35 (7.3%) had a MASC T-score in the anxious range. The rate of children in the anxious range was 2.3% in elementary, 7.9% in middle, and 15.9% in high school (chi2 = 7.8, df = 2, p < 0.05), and was 14.1% among students with insufficient grades, 9.4% among those with sufficient grades, and 3.9% among those with good or very good grades (chi2 = 11.68, df = 2, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In this community sample of children and adolescents attending elementary through high school, the prevalence of abnormally high self-reported levels of anxiety increased in frequency with age and was negatively associated with school performance.
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Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents cause significant interference with relationships, academic performance, school attendance, and daily functioning.
“The long-term impact of anxiety and depression on children and adolescents includes significant interference with relationships, academic performance, school attendance, and daily functioning, making early intervention vital [3-8].”
From eMental Healthcare Technologies for Anxiety and Depression in Childhood and Adolescence: Systematic Review of Studies Reporting Implementation Outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
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References 48 · Cited by 245
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Wittchen HU Stein MB Kessler RC Social fears and social phobia in a community sample of adolescents and young adults: prevalence, risk factors and comorbidity Psychol Med 1999 29 309 323 10218923 10.1017/S0033291798008174 · DOI · Paper page
- Authors
- Mazzone, L., Ducci, F., Scoto, M. C., Passaniti, E., D'Arrigo, V. G., & Vitiello, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Catania (IT)
- University of Pisa (IT)
- National Institute of Mental Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mazzone, Luigi
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 347-347
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2228292
- OpenAlex
- W2072605247
- Cited by
- 245
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Cineca Institutional Research Information System (Tor Vergata University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- 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
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Keywords
- anxiety symptoms, academic performance, children, adolescents, anxiety prevalence, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, age differences, student grades, community sample
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Age Factors, Analysis of Variance, Anxiety, Child, Educational Status, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Italy, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Residence Characteristics, Schools, Sex Factors, Students, Prevalence
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