Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Jul-Aug;47(4):655-667.
doi: 10.1080/15374416.2018.1426006. Epub 2018 Feb 6.

Future Directions for Research on Early Intervention for Young Children at Risk for Social Anxiety

Andrea Chronis-Tuscano  1 , Christina M Danko  1 , Kenneth H Rubin  2 , Robert J Coplan  3 , Danielle R Novick  1
Affiliations

Future Directions for Research on Early Intervention for Young Children at Risk for Social Anxiety

Andrea Chronis-Tuscano et al. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2018 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are common among young children, with earlier onset typically associated with greater severity and persistence. A stable behaviorally inhibited (BI) temperament and subsequent shyness and social withdrawal (SW) place children at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, particularly social anxiety. In this Future Directions article, we briefly review developmental and clinical research and theory that point to parenting and peer interactions as key moderators of both the stability of BI/SW and risk for later anxiety, and we describe existing interventions that address early BI/SW and/or anxiety disorders in young children. We recommend that future research on early intervention to disrupt the trajectory of anxiety in children at risk (a) be informed by both developmental science and clinical research, (b) incorporate multiple levels of analysis (including both individual and contextual factors), (c) examine mediators that move us closer to understanding how and why treatments work, (d) be developed with the end goal of dissemination, (e) examine moderators of outcome toward the goal of treatment efficiency, (f) consider transdiagnostic or modular approaches, (g) integrate technology, and (h) consider cultural norms regarding BI/SW/anxiety and parenting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Developmental-transactional model of child behavioral inhibition and anxiety. Adapted from Rubin et al. (2009).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aarons GA, Hurlburt M, & Horwitz SM (2011). Advancing a conceptual model of evidence-based practice implementation in public service sectors. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 38, 4–23. 10.1007/s10488-010-0327-7 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Almirall D, & Chronis-Tuscano A (2016). Adaptive interventions in child and adolescent mental health. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 45, 383–395. 10.1080/15374416.2016.1152555 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barrett PM, Farrell LJ, Ollendick TH, & Dadds M (2006). Long-term outcomes of an Australian universal prevention trial of anxiety and depression symptoms in children and youth: An evaluation of the friends program. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 35, 403– 411. 10.1207/s15374424jccp3503_5 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barstead M, Danko CM, Chronis-Tuscano A, Rubin K, O’Brien K, Coplan R (2017). Coming out of their shells: A multicomponent treatment for inhibited and shy preschoolers generalizes to a classroom setting. Rubin KH (Chair), Three novel approaches to intervening in the lives of anxious young children Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, TX.
    1. Beidas RS, Benjamin CL, Puleo CM, Edmunds JM, & Kendall PC (2010). Flexible applications of the coping cat program for anxious youth. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 17(2), 142–153. 10.1016/j.cbpra.2009.11.002 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types