Social Skills as a Mediator between Anxiety Symptoms and Peer Interactions among Children and Adolescents

Autor/inn/en	Motoca, Luci M.; Williams, Sandra; Silverman, Wendy K.
Titel	Social Skills as a Mediator between Anxiety Symptoms and Peer Interactions among Children and Adolescents
Quelle	In: Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41 (2012) 3, S.329-336 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1537-4416
DOI	10.1080/15374416.2012.668843
Schlagwörter	Adolescents; Parents; Anxiety Disorders; Structural Equation Models; Peer Relationship; Interpersonal Competence; Interaction; Children; Correlation; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Gender Differences; Age Differences; Clinics; Antisocial Behavior; Prosocial Behavior; Parent Attitudes; Questionnaires; Childrens Manifest Anxiety Scale; Social Skills Rating System + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Eltern; Peer-Beziehungen; Interpersonale Kompetenz; Interaktion; Child; Kind; Kinder; Korrelation; Psychiatrische Symptomatik; Geschlechterkonflikt; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Elternverhalten; Fragebogen
Abstract	The present study used a cross-sectional design to examine the relations among youth anxiety symptoms, positive and negative peer interactions, and social skills. Also examined was the mediating role of social skills in the relations between youth anxiety symptoms and positive and negative peer interactions. Youth sex and age were examined as moderators. The sample consisted of 397 children and adolescents (M = 10.11 years; 53.4% boys; 74.8% Hispanic Latino) referred to an anxiety disorders clinic. Anxiety symptoms, positive and negative peer interactions, and social skills were assessed using youth and parent ratings. Structural equation modeling results indicated that for youth ratings only, youth anxiety symptoms were negatively related to positive peer interactions controlling for primary social phobia and comorbid depressive disorders. For both youth and parent ratings, youth anxiety symptoms were positively related to negative peer interactions and negatively related to social skills. Also for both youth and parent ratings, social skills mediated the relations between youth anxiety symptoms and positive and negative peer interactions. For parent ratings only, the effects of youth anxiety symptoms and social skills on peer interactions were significantly moderated by youth age. Youth sex was not a significant moderator using youth and parent ratings. Findings suggest that difficulties with social skills and peer interactions are problematic features of youth referred for anxiety problems. Findings highlight the need to improve understanding of anxiety symptoms, social skills, and peer interactions in this population. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures and 1 footnote.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10