Behavioral Science

To the K12 Classroom and Beyond: ACES and Academic Anxiety 
 

Kathryn Chambers
Abilene Christian University

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, are associated with increased risks of anxiety and depression. Although these relationships are established, limited research has examined how ACEs relate to academic anxiety among undergraduate students. This study examines the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and academic anxiety in undergraduate students while exploring associations with academic anxiety and mental health service utilization during their K-12 education. Pearson correlation analyses revealed a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and academic anxiety, r(83) = .564, p < .001. Students with higher ACE scores reported higher levels of academic anxiety. These findings suggest that childhood adversity may have lasting effects on students' academic functioning beyond K-12 education. Early identification and intervention for students exposed to adversity may help reduce academic anxiety and improve educational outcomes. Future research should examine these relationships longitudinally and investigate protective factors that may buffer the impact of ACEs on academic anxiety.

Effects of Gender on the Relationship between Parent Mental Health and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Sasha Roberson 
Baylor University

Background: Stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic worsened mental health in both parents and children. In addition, the pandemic disrupted family dynamics, forcing families into shared environments, changing day-to-day schedules, and shifting typical parental roles and the time families spent together. This study explores how parents' mental health influenced child mental health during the pandemic and how this differed based on parent gender and child gender. Methods: A nationally representative sample of parents across the United States (N = 796, 51.8% fathers, 48.2% mothers, M age= 38.8 years) participated in a cross-sectional survey about themselves and one child from 5-16 years old (57.9 % boys, 42.1 % girls) between February and April 2021. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a measure of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the PROMIS Depression and Anxiety scales to measure their own depressive and anxiety symptoms. Two regression models were tested, evaluating the interactions between parent gender, child gender, and parent depressive/anxiety symptoms. Results: A moderated moderation model indicated that, from the data collected, there is a stronger, positive relationship between fathers’ depression/anxiety symptoms and boys’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms. For girls, the strength of the relationship between parents' depression/anxiety symptoms and girls' internalizing and externalizing symptoms remained consistent regardless of parent gender.  Conclusion: Ultimately, this study adds nuance to how parent mental health affected child mental health during the pandemic by looking at the intersection of parent mental health and child gender.

Keywords: Mental health, Internalizing symptoms, Externalizing Symptoms, Parents

Under Pressure: Comparing Stress Between Collegiate Athletes and Non-Athletes Ages 18–25

Christian Franklin

This study examined whether collegiate athletes experience significantly different levels of perceived stress than non-athletes ages 18 to 25, addressing a gap in the literature by comparing athletes to a non-athlete group that included both college students and individuals outside of higher education. A total of 108 participants (52 collegiate athletes, 56 non-athletes) completed the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) along with a brief demographic questionnaire. Contrary to the hypothesis that athletes would report higher stress, an independent samples t-test found no significant difference between athletes (M=15.37, SD=5.06) and non-athletes (M=16.23, SD=6.46), t(106)=-0.77, p=.442, d=-0.15, and the null hypothesis was retained. Secondary analyses revealed that female participants reported significantly higher perceived stress than male participants (M=17.24 vs. M=14.91), t(106)=2.06, p=.042, d=0.41. No significant differences emerged between college students and non-students within the non-athlete group, nor across sport type or year in school among athletes. These findings challenge the common assumption that collegiate athletes are inherently more stressed than their peers and instead suggest that gender, rather than athletic participation, may be a more meaningful predictor of perceived stress among young adults. Results are discussed in relation to the potential stress-buffering role of athletic participation and implications for university and athletic department mental health support.