Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study
Abstract Background It is unknown how the patterns of negative and positive attentional biases in children predict fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified profiles of negative and positive attentional biases in children and exami...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00594-y |
| _version_ | 1797823014881984512 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiaochu Zhang |
| author_facet | Qiaochu Zhang |
| author_sort | Qiaochu Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background It is unknown how the patterns of negative and positive attentional biases in children predict fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified profiles of negative and positive attentional biases in children and examined their association with emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method 264 children (girls: 53.8% and boys: 46.2%) of 9–10 years born in Hong Kong or mainland China from a primary school in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China were involved in a two-wave longitudinal study. Children completed the COVID-19 Fear Scale, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale to measure fear of COVID-19, anxiety and depression symptoms, and negative and positive attentional biases in classrooms. After six months, they completed the second assessment of fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms in classrooms. Latent profile analysis was conducted to reveal distinct profiles of attentional biases in children. A series of repeated MANOVA was performed to examine the association of profiles of attentional biases to fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms across 6 months. Results Three profiles of negative and positive attentional biases were revealed in children. Children with a “moderate positive and high negative attentional biases” profile had significantly higher fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than children with a “high positive and moderate negative attentional biases” profile. Children with a “low positive and negative attentional biases” profile were not significantly different in fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than those with the other two profiles. Conclusions Patterns of negative and positive attentional biases were related to emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. It might be important to consider children's overall patterns of negative and positive attentional biases to identify children at risk of higher emotional symptoms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:17:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f9d01ecf56343c2b0151f67a96fc2aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1753-2000 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:17:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f9d01ecf56343c2b0151f67a96fc2aa2023-05-21T11:09:02ZengBMCChild and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health1753-20002023-05-0117111310.1186/s13034-023-00594-yPatterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal studyQiaochu Zhang0Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, City University of Hong KongAbstract Background It is unknown how the patterns of negative and positive attentional biases in children predict fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified profiles of negative and positive attentional biases in children and examined their association with emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method 264 children (girls: 53.8% and boys: 46.2%) of 9–10 years born in Hong Kong or mainland China from a primary school in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China were involved in a two-wave longitudinal study. Children completed the COVID-19 Fear Scale, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale to measure fear of COVID-19, anxiety and depression symptoms, and negative and positive attentional biases in classrooms. After six months, they completed the second assessment of fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms in classrooms. Latent profile analysis was conducted to reveal distinct profiles of attentional biases in children. A series of repeated MANOVA was performed to examine the association of profiles of attentional biases to fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms across 6 months. Results Three profiles of negative and positive attentional biases were revealed in children. Children with a “moderate positive and high negative attentional biases” profile had significantly higher fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than children with a “high positive and moderate negative attentional biases” profile. Children with a “low positive and negative attentional biases” profile were not significantly different in fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than those with the other two profiles. Conclusions Patterns of negative and positive attentional biases were related to emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. It might be important to consider children's overall patterns of negative and positive attentional biases to identify children at risk of higher emotional symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00594-yLatent profilesAttentional biasAnxiety symptomsDepression symptomsFear of COVID-19Children |
| spellingShingle | Qiaochu Zhang Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health Latent profiles Attentional bias Anxiety symptoms Depression symptoms Fear of COVID-19 Children |
| title | Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study |
| title_full | Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study |
| title_short | Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study |
| title_sort | patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the covid 19 pandemic a two wave longitudinal study |
| topic | Latent profiles Attentional bias Anxiety symptoms Depression symptoms Fear of COVID-19 Children |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00594-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiaochuzhang patternsofattentionalbiasesinchildrenandemotionalsymptomsduringthecovid19pandemicatwowavelongitudinalstudy |