Attributional Styles and Their Impact on Depression and Anxiety in Italian Children
Author Information
Author(s): Scaini Simona, Grazioli Silvia, Giani Ludovica, Forresi Barbara, De Francesco Stefano, Caputi Marcella
Primary Institution: Sigmund Freud University of Milan
Hypothesis
This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R) and explore subgroups of children with different attributional styles.
Conclusion
The study identified distinct patterns of attributional styles associated with depressive and anxious symptoms in children, suggesting potential insights for targeted interventions.
Supporting Evidence
- Children with an internal, global, and stable attributional style for negative events reported higher levels of depressive symptoms.
- Latent class analysis revealed two distinct classes of attributional styles among children.
- High levels of depressive symptoms were associated with a specific attributional style for negative events.
Takeaway
The way children explain why things happen can affect how sad or anxious they feel, and this study found different groups of kids based on their explanations.
Methodology
The study used latent class analysis on responses from the CASQ-R to identify different attributional styles among children.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to convenience sampling and reliance on self-reported measures.
Limitations
The study's findings may not be generalizable beyond Northern Italy, and its cross-sectional design limits causal inferences.
Participant Demographics
The sample consisted of 337 children aged approximately 11.29 years, with 169 females and 168 males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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