Parent vs burn-injured child self-report: contributions to a better understanding of anxiety levels

• Published in: Journal of burn care & research 2014-07, Vol.35 (4), p.296-302
• Main Authors: Rimmer, R B, Bay, R C, Sadler, I J, Alam, N B, Foster, K N, Caruso, D M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Burns - psychology; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parents; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1559-047X; 1559-0488
• DOI: 10.1097/01.bcr.0000441179.25255.34

Anxiety disorders are the most commonly reported form of mental health problem among youth, but they often go undiagnosed and untreated. This study examined the relationship between burn-injured youths' self-reported anxiety levels, as compared with their parent's perceptions of their child's emotional well-being. Burn-injured children were invited to voluntarily complete the Child Version of the 41-item survey, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, which consists of five anxiety subscales as well as a Total Anxiety Score. Parents were invited to complete the Parent Version. Sixty-three parent-child dyads, with girls (57%) and boys (43%), completed surveys. Mothers (73%) fathers (16%), and other caregivers (11%) participated. Youth mean age was 12.63 years and 60% reported visible burn scars. Matched-pairs t-tests were used to compare parent and child reports. Significantly lower mean scores were found between Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders Total Anxiety Score--Parent mean score of 10.52 vs the Youth mean score 21.06 (P