Attention bias in the developmental unfolding of post-traumatic stress symptoms in young children at risk.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Threat-related attention bias relates to anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms in adults and adolescents, but few longitudinal studies examine such associations in young children. This study examines prospective relations among attention bias, trauma exposure, and anxiety and trauma symptoms in a sample previously reported to manifest cross-sectional associations between attention bias and observed anxiety at preschool age.

Methods

Young children [mean (MN) = 5.0, ±0.7 years, n = 208] from a community-based sample completed the dot-probe task to assess their attention biases in response to angry faces. At baseline (T1) and at follow-up approximately 9 months later (T2), anxiety and trauma exposure (i.e. violent and noninterpersonal events) and symptoms were as

SUBMITTER: Briggs-Gowan MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4996471 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature