London: In a help to worrying mothers who
face trouble in gauging their children`s state of mind,
Spanish researchers have claimed to have developed a method to
assess their stress level.
Researchers from the University of Malaga have created
the method that provides valuable information for the
development of psycho-educational intervention guidelines to
improve school interaction and encourage children to develop
the appropriate tools to manage daily stress level.
According to experts, worrying about physical appearance,
taking part in numerous extracurricular activities and being
alone a lot are some of the factors that increase the risk of
suffering from childhood stress.
"The figures endorse the need for specific tools to
assess daily stress amongst schoolchildren," lead author Maria
Victoria Trianes.
The method - `Inventory of Daily Stressors` - is linked
to school grades and health problems. Some of the most
influential factors are worrying about physical appearance,
taking part in too many extracurricular activities and being
alone a lot, New Scientist reported.
The report lists 25 daily situations in the fields of
health, school, family and peer relationships, all relevant to
childhood development. The inventory is also validated by
other sources such as teaching staff and parents.
1,094 children (533 boys and 561 girls), aged between 8
and 12 and from 17 different educational institutions across
Malaga, took part in the study.
"It is important to create tools to assess daily
childhood stress, as this is an area which lacks resources
specific to these age groups," Trianes points out.
The assessment of daily stress in childhood has become
increasingly important over the last 20 years.
Experts claim that stress leads children and teenagers to
develop symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep disorders,
eating disorders, disruptive behaviour and academic under
performance.
There can also be consequences for their physical health.
Therefore "prevention and effective treatment will have
positive consequences for mental health and development in
childhood and adolescence", concludes Trianes.
PTI