Relations between emotional and social functioning in youth with anxiety disorders

Abstract

The current study investigated relations between emotional and social functioning in youth with anxiety disorders. Thirty-five youth with a primary diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, or Separation Anxiety Disorder, and a parent participated. Specifically, the study examined whether emotion understanding, emotion regulation, positive affect, and negative affect predict children’s positive and negative treatment by peers, perceptions of loneliness, and social problems, and the moderational role of emotion regulation in the relationship between anxiety disorder severity and children’s positive or negative treatment by peers, loneliness, and social problems. Results of this study suggest that both positive and negative affective displays are notably related to social functioning in youth with anxiety disorders. This research will contribute to our understanding of the interplay of social and emotional variables in youth with anxiety disorders and has potential to inform prevention and treatment efforts.