Abstract
There is little evidence on cognitions that are associated with emotional and behavioral problems in preschoolers during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This article presents the initial development and validation of a caregiver-report instrument, the Preschooler Stressor-related Thoughts and Worries (PSTW) scale, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, caregivers from two countries reported on their child’s cognitions at baseline (T0) and three months later (T1; age 3–5 years; Australia: N = 559; United States: N = 346). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with the Australian sample at T0 and confirmed with the U.S. sample at T0. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a one-factor model including 10 items. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis failed to clearly support this structure (comparative fit index =.91, root mean square error of approximation =.11). Construct validity was supported by positive associations between PSTW scores and emotional and behavioral problems. Although the PSTW is a promising instrument to assess preschooler cognitions related to COVID-19, further investigation of its performance in other contexts (e.g., other countries, other stressful or traumatic events) is needed.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Traumatology |
DOIs | |
State | Accepted/In press - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 American Psychological Association
Keywords
- Cognitions
- Covid-19
- Negative appraisals
- Preschooler
- Worries
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nursing (all)
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health