Temperamental dimension and anxiety problems in a clinical sample of three- to six-year old children: a study of variables

In the last few years, many researchers have studied the presence of common dimensions of temperament in subjects with symptoms of anxiety. The aim of this study is to examine the association between temperamental dimensions (high negative affect and activity level) and anxiety problems in clinical preschool children. A total of 38 children, ages 3 to 6 years, from the Infant and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Girona and the Center of Diagnosis and Early Attention of Sabadell and Olot were evaluated by parents and psychologists. Their parents completed several screening scales and, subsequently, clinical child psychopathology professionals carried out diagnostic interviews with children from the sample who presented signs of anxiety. Findings showed that children with high levels of negative affect and low activity level have pronounced symptoms of anxiety. However, children with anxiety disorders do not present different temperament styles from their peers without these pathologies. Keywords: temperament, negative affect, activity level, preschool age, anxiety symptoms, anxiety disorders En los ultimos anos, diversos investigadores han estudiado la presencia de dimensiones temperamentales comunes en sujetos con sintomatologia ansiosa. El objetivo del presente estudio es examinar la asociacion entre dimensiones temperamentales (afecto negativo y nivel de actividad) y problemas de ansiedad en ninos clinicos preescolares. Un total de 38 ninos de 3 a 6 anos de edad, pertenecientes al Centro de Salud Mental Infanto-Juvenil de Girona y al Centro de Diagnostico y Atencion Precoz de Sabadell y Olot, fueron evaluados por sus padres y por psicologos. Los padres contestaron a diversas escalas de cribaje y, posteriormente, diversos profesionales en psicopatologia clinica infantil realizaron entrevistas diagnosticas a los ninos de la muestra que presentaban indicios de ansiedad. Los hallazgos obtenidos muestran que los ninos con elevados niveles de afecto negativo y bajos niveles de actividad presentan elevada sintomatologia ansiosa. Sin embargo, los ninos con trastornos de ansiedad no presentan un estilo temperamental distinto al de los ninos sin estas patologias. Palabras clave: temperamento, afecto negativo, nivel de actividad, edad preescolar, sintomatologia ansiosa, trastornos de ansiedad