P-290 - Peers Relations and Cognitive Coping Strategies in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Anxiety Disorsers

Abstract

Introduction:

Children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders use more frequently non-adaptive cognitive coping strategies, such as: self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing and other-blame. the emotion regulation strategies also influence the peers relations.

Objective:

The study's objective was to evaluate the cognitive coping strategies used by children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders, and to observe how these strategies influence the peers relations.

Aims:

The study aims were to identify the non-adaptive cognitive coping strategies and to identify which of them is more used by bullied or victimized children or adolescents.

Methods:

Participants. Data was obtained from children aged 11 to 18 years of age, diagnosed with anxiety disorders, according to DSM IV-TR and healthy subjects comparable in age and sex.

Instruments. We used three questionnaires: Youth Self Report, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Peers Relations Questionnaire.

Results:

The children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders use more frequently non-adaptive cognitive coping strategies than the healthy children and they are more frequently bullied or victimized by their peers.

Conclusions:

It is important to teach children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders how to use adaptive emotion regulation strategies in order to have a better social life and better academic results.