Poster #56 - An Examination of the Relations Between Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Treatment Response

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Background: Children’s and adolescents’ beliefs about people’s capacity to change have been associated with their treatment responses (Yeager et al., 2018). Such associations may relate to children’s and adolescents’ beliefs about their own capacities, as assessed by self-efficacy measures (Davis-Kean et al., 2008). The current report examines associations between anxiety levels, self-efficacy, and treatment response amongst children and adolescents receiving treatment for anxiety. Methods: A total of 16 healthy youth and 26 anxious youth (ages 8-17, M=12.89, SD=2.63) completed a structured psychiatric interview and rating scales to assess levels of anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders, Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale) and self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children). Self-efficacy levels were compared between anxious and healthy participants. Across the whole sample, associations between self-efficacy and anxiety symptoms were examined. Furthermore, within the anxious group relations between baseline self-efficacy and treatment response (i.e., 12-weeks of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) were examined. Results: Patients (M=74.46, SD=15.52) reported lower ratings (t(39)=4.41, p<.001) of self-efficacy than did healthy subjects (M=95.79, SD=14.37). Moreover, levels of self-efficacy correlated with both self-reported (r= -.55; p<.001) and clinician-rated (r=-.68; p<.001) anxiety levels at baseline. Amongst the anxious participants, the relationship between baseline self-efficacy and treatment response was marginally significant (F(1,16)=4.01, p=.06, p2=.20). Data collection is ongoing. Discussion: Youth with low self-efficacy ratings report higher levels of anxiety than youth with high self-efficacy ratings do. In addition, those with lower self-efficacy ratings reported less symptom improvement, compared to youth with higher self-efficacy, following 12 weeks of CBT. Future research might consider treatments that directly target beliefs about self-efficacy in an attempt to enhance treatment response.

Authors

• Emily Louise Jones, National Institute of Mental Health
  Presenting Author

• Gabrielle Freitag, National Institute of Mental Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ashley Smith, National Institute of Mental Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elise Cardinale, National Institute of Mental Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daniel Pine, NIMH
  Non-Presenting Author

• Krystal M. Lewis, National Institute of Mental Health
  Non-Presenting Author