Dataset Information

Developing an Anxiety Screening Tool for Children in South Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early childhood experiences such as trauma, exposure to violence, and poverty can significantly contribute to childhood anxiety, which is viewed as the most common mental health issue among children. In South Africa, there is no uniform tool to screen for anxiety during early childhood. This study aims to develop a tool to screen for anxiety in children aged 4 to 8 years, which could be utilized by preschool and foundation phase teachers to aid in the early identification of childhood anxiety.

Objective

The overall objective of this study is to explore understanding and perceptions of childhood anxiety among teachers, parents, and experts and to develop a tool to screen for anxiety in children aged 4 to 8 years.

Methods

This project will use a mixed method design that will consist of 4 stages. Stage 1 will consist of a scoping review. In Stage 2, data will be collected via semistructured interviews with 60 participants, including parents, teachers, and experts, and will be thematically analyzed. Stage 3 will consist of 20 experts and the researcher collaboratively formulating the proposed screening tool in the form of an e-Delphi component. Once the tool is refined, it will be piloted in Stage 4 with 20 teachers, and data will be analyzed with the Shapiro-Wilk test to test for normality. Additionally, factor analysis will be done to refine and restructure the tool as necessary.

Results

This project was funded from April 2020 to December 2021. Data collection began in September 2022 and is projected to conclude in December 2022 for the qualitative component. The e-Delphi component is expected to be carried out from March to November 2023. Ethical approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee in November 2021.

Conclusions

Anxiety in early childhood has been linked to various repercussions in adolescence and adulthood, such as school dropout, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, depression, and suicide ideation. Therefore, identifying the presence of anxiety earlier on and providing the necessary referral services could aid in reducing the negative consequences of unidentified and untreated anxiety in early childhood.

International registered report identifier (irrid)

PRR1-10.2196/37364.

SUBMITTER: Benjamin F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9555325 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Developing an Anxiety Screening Tool for Children in South Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Benjamin Fatiema F Adebiyi Babatope O BO Rich Edna E Roman Nicolette Vanessa NV

JMIR research protocols 20220927 9

<h4>Background</h4>Early childhood experiences such as trauma, exposure to violence, and poverty can significantly contribute to childhood anxiety, which is viewed as the most common mental health issue among children. In South Africa, there is no uniform tool to screen for anxiety during early childhood. This study aims to develop a tool to screen for anxiety in children aged 4 to 8 years, which could be utilized by preschool and foundation phase teachers to aid in the early identification of c ...[more]

PMID: 36166280

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Dataset Information

Developing an Anxiety Screening Tool for Children in South Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

International registered report identifier (irrid)

Publications

Developing an Anxiety Screening Tool for Children in South Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

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