Supervisors info:
Αφροδίτη Ζαρταλούδη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΠΑΔΑ
Ιωάννης Κουτελέκος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΠΑΔΑ
Αλεξάνδρα Σολδάτου, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
INTRODUCTION: There is no doubt that childhood is a crucial period in an individual's development. Anxiety disorders are at the forefront in modern times, as a vast number of children and adolescents struggle with them. Self-esteem promotes mental well-being and acts as a protective shield against the occurrence of anxiety disorders.
AIM: The present study aims to investigate the correlation between self-esteem levels and the frequency of behaviors or symptoms consistent with anxiety disorders in children aged 9–12 years attending the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of public primary schools in the Larnaca district of Cyprus. Secondary objectives include exploring potential associations between these variables and the students' sociodemographic characteristics, as well as their academic performance as reported by their teachers.
METHODOLOGY: A total of 249 students were administered (a) a Socio-demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, (b) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, (c) the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and the teachers of the students were given a questionnaire to assess the academic performance of each student individually.
RESULTS: The protective role of self-esteem in the development of anxiety disorders (p<0.001) and feelings of loneliness, as well as its positive effect on academic performance, was confirmed through the study. Additionally, high levels of self-esteem were associated with reduced feelings of loneliness (p=0.001), increased academic performance (p=0.020), and greater satisfaction with teacher support (p=0.001). Furthermore, girls exhibited anxiety-related behaviors more frequently than boys (p=0.028), especially in cases of panic disorders, agoraphobia (p=0.020), specific phobias (p=0.012), and separation anxiety (p=0.005). Another noteworthy finding of the study was that greater feelings of loneliness at school were related to an increased occurrence of anxiety disorders (p<0.001). Additionally, older students were found to exhibit anxiety-related behaviors less frequently (p=0.002). Children from families with more siblings showed lower academic performance (p=0.001). Finally, improved academic performance was significantly associated with fewer social phobias (p=0.048). Children receiving parallel support exhibited lower academic performance (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety disorders that emerge at a young age are linked to the development of mental health disorders in adulthood. Promoting self-esteem in childhood is crucial as it can contribute to safeguarding mental health. The increased prevalence of anxiety disorders in modern society makes it essential to provide continuous education and raise awareness among teachers, parents, and all professionals who frequently interact with children, regarding prevention strategies and management interventions.
Keywords:
Anxiety disorders, Self-esteem, Children, School performance
