The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children
Abstract Background Perceived stress associated with relational victimization from peers and conflictual relations with the teacher have been linked with the development of anxiety symptoms in children. Living in conditions of ongoing stress from the broader environment has also been related to anxi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-12-01
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| Series: | JCPP Advances |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12092 |
| _version_ | 1828270161143005184 |
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| author | Pia Behnsen Pol vanLier Kinneret Levavi Joanne Marieke Buil Anja Huizink Susanne Koot Naama Atzaba‐Poria |
| author_facet | Pia Behnsen Pol vanLier Kinneret Levavi Joanne Marieke Buil Anja Huizink Susanne Koot Naama Atzaba‐Poria |
| author_sort | Pia Behnsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Perceived stress associated with relational victimization from peers and conflictual relations with the teacher have been linked with the development of anxiety symptoms in children. Living in conditions of ongoing stress from the broader environment has also been related to anxiety symptoms in children. In this study, we examined (a) the indirect effect between classroom psychosocial stressors (i.e., relational victimization and conflictual relationships with teachers), perceived stress and anxiety symptom development, and (b) whether this indirect effect was stronger for children living in a high threat region than for children living in a lower threat region. Methods Children participating in the study attended elementary school either in a high threat of armed conflict region (15 s to hide in bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 220) or in a lower threat of armed conflict region (60 s to hide in a bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 188) in Israel. Children were first assessed on conflictual relationships with teachers and peers, subjectively perceived stress and anxiety in 2017 (T0; M age = 10.61 years, SD = 0.78; 45% boys) and re‐assessed (T1) 1 year later, in 2018. Results Perceived stress mediated the association between classroom psychosocial stressors and anxiety development. No moderation by threat‐region was found in this indirect effect. However, the association between perceived stress and anxiety development was only significant for children in the high threat region. Conclusion Our study suggests that threat of war conflict amplifies the association between perceived stress and the development of anxiety symptoms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:39:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ab796801ca64256a24f7cafcd677300 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2692-9384 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:39:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JCPP Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ab796801ca64256a24f7cafcd6773002022-12-22T03:00:10ZengWileyJCPP Advances2692-93842022-12-0124n/an/a10.1002/jcv2.12092The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school childrenPia Behnsen0Pol vanLier1Kinneret Levavi2Joanne Marieke Buil3Anja Huizink4Susanne Koot5Naama Atzaba‐Poria6Department of Clinical, Neuro‐ and Developmental Psychology Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Amsterdam The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical, Neuro‐ and Developmental Psychology Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Amsterdam The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva IsraelDepartment of Clinical, Neuro‐ and Developmental Psychology Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Amsterdam The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical, Neuro‐ and Developmental Psychology Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Amsterdam The NetherlandsRadboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva IsraelAbstract Background Perceived stress associated with relational victimization from peers and conflictual relations with the teacher have been linked with the development of anxiety symptoms in children. Living in conditions of ongoing stress from the broader environment has also been related to anxiety symptoms in children. In this study, we examined (a) the indirect effect between classroom psychosocial stressors (i.e., relational victimization and conflictual relationships with teachers), perceived stress and anxiety symptom development, and (b) whether this indirect effect was stronger for children living in a high threat region than for children living in a lower threat region. Methods Children participating in the study attended elementary school either in a high threat of armed conflict region (15 s to hide in bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 220) or in a lower threat of armed conflict region (60 s to hide in a bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 188) in Israel. Children were first assessed on conflictual relationships with teachers and peers, subjectively perceived stress and anxiety in 2017 (T0; M age = 10.61 years, SD = 0.78; 45% boys) and re‐assessed (T1) 1 year later, in 2018. Results Perceived stress mediated the association between classroom psychosocial stressors and anxiety development. No moderation by threat‐region was found in this indirect effect. However, the association between perceived stress and anxiety development was only significant for children in the high threat region. Conclusion Our study suggests that threat of war conflict amplifies the association between perceived stress and the development of anxiety symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12092anxiety problemschildrenperceived stressschool stressors |
| spellingShingle | Pia Behnsen Pol vanLier Kinneret Levavi Joanne Marieke Buil Anja Huizink Susanne Koot Naama Atzaba‐Poria The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children JCPP Advances anxiety problems children perceived stress school stressors |
| title | The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children |
| title_full | The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children |
| title_fullStr | The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children |
| title_full_unstemmed | The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children |
| title_short | The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children |
| title_sort | potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in israeli school children |
| topic | anxiety problems children perceived stress school stressors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12092 |
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