Mental health, neurodevelopmental, and family psychosocial profiles of children born very preterm at risk of an early‐onset anxiety disorder

Abstract

Children born very preterm who developed an early-onset anxiety disorder were subject to high rates of comorbid problems. Findings highlight the importance of addressing both maternal and child mental health issues to optimize outcomes in this high-risk population. What this paper adds One out of five school-age children born very preterm are likely to meet DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. Half of these children born very preterm with an early-onset anxiety disorder have comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Other neurodevelopmental correlates of early-onset anxiety disorders include lower cognitive ability, motor problems, and peer social difficulties. Concurrent maternal mental health and child social adjustment problems were the strongest correlates of early-onset anxiety disorder risk among children born very preterm.