Negative thoughts in children with symptoms of anxiety and depression

This study examined whether negative thoughts are different in anxious, depressed, and chronically ill children. Screening of 1,316 children on anxiety, depression, and asthma resulted in the selection of 118 children. Four groups were formed: (1) a high anxiety group, (2) a high anxiety/depression group, (3) an asthma group, and (4) a low anxiety, low depression, and no chronic disease (control) group. The data yielded no pure depression group. Subsequently, the Negative Affectivity Self-Statement Questionnaire (NASSQ) and a Worry scale were administered. Results showed that cognitive scores were different in all groups. Highest scores were obtained from the high anxiety/depression group, and lowest from the control group. Children with asthma scored high on anxiety, not on depression. High correlations between scores on negative thoughts and conventional measures of negative emotions suggested that negative thoughts provided no unique information about the problems underlying emotional states in different groups of children. Implications for cognitive assessment in emotionally disturbed children are discussed.