Theme: Children's Health

Anxiety is normal and all children experience it. Healthy young children will have separation anxiety when their parents leave them in unfamiliar places. These fears are often short-lived. However, overly anxious children are tense, uptight and interpret ambiguous stories in a negative way. They are concerned over many things from attending lessons, going to party to trying new things. These worries sometimes interfere with their activities in school or even at play. Parents should not ignore their child's fears and look out for signs of severe anxiety so that they can intervene early to prevent complication or long-term effects on their confidence and self-esteem. We bring you resources from the library on anxiety and children. For more information about these books, search our online catalogue at: http://www.nl.sg

BOOKS

The A-Z Of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties
Doctor, R. M. Kahn, A. P. & Adamec, C.
New York : Checkmark Books, c2008.
Call No.: R 616.8522003 DOC

Are you afraid of heights, spiders, dogs or going home? There are names to these anxieties respectively Acrophobia, Cynophobia, Hypnophobia, Nostophobia. Almost everyone has some form of phobia, ranging from the common fear of dark spaces to the unusual fear of men and fear of pleasure. Anxiety disorders are a common from of mental illness in some adults. This book, The A to Z of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties covers and explains many aspects of these kinds of mental disorders. There are descriptions, causes, symptoms and treatment for specific types of anxieties, fears, and phobias. It also includes an overview of the subject and a directory of useful resources.

Please Don't Label My Child: Break the Doctor-Diagnosis-Drug Cycle and Discover Safe, Effective Choices For Your Child's Emotional Health

Shannon, S. M. & Heckman, E.
[Emmaus, Pa.] : Rodale : Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck Publishers, c2007.
Call No.: 618.9289 SHA
Available at the public libraries

Written by a child psychiatrist, this book looks at how to approach discipline, temperament and trauma when dealing with the child's emotions and mental health. There is advice on nutrition, family management and environmental causes of disharmony in kids. Reducing stress and increasing sleep time is suggested to relieve symptoms of mental and emotional disorders. There is also discussion on how temperament mismatch and labelling by parents can cause problems between parents and their children.

See also:

You may also be interested in these books from the National Library and the public libraries. For more information about the book, search our online catalogue by typing the titles at: http://www.nl.sg

Overcoming School Anxiety: How To Help Your Child Deal With Separation, Tests, Homework, Bullies, Math Phobia, and Other Worries
Mayer, D. P.
New York : AMACOM/American Management Association, c2008.
Call No.: 649.154 PET

Helping Your Socially Vulnerable Child: What To Do When Your Child Is Shy, Socially Anxious, Withdrawn, or Bullied
Eisen, A. R. & Engler, L. B.
Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, Inc., c2007.
Call No.: 649.1567 EIS -[FAM]

Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal: A Step-By-Step Guide For Parents
Eisen, A. R & Engler, L. B.
Oakland, Calif. : New Harbinger Publications, c2006.
Call No.: 649.154 EIS -[FAM]

Common Psychological Disorders In Young Children: A Handbook For Early Childhood Professionals
Bilmes, J. & Welker, T.
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2006.
Call No.: R 618.9289 BIL
Available at Lee Kong Chian Reference Library

Help For Worried Kids: How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear
Last, C. G.
New York : Guilford Press, c2006.
Call No.: 618.928522 LAS -[HEA]

Worried All The Time: Rediscovering the Joy In Parenthood In An Age of Anxiety
Anderegg, D.
New York, NY : Free Press, 2004.
Call No.: 649.1 AND -[FAM]

Your Anxious Child: Raising A Healthy Child In A Frightening World
Shaw, M. A.
Irving, Tex. : Tapestry Press, c2003.
Call No.: 649.154 SHA -[FAM]

DATABASES

News

Talk Therapy For Anxious Children
February 8, 2008, The Straits Times, Mind Your Body
Full article available from Factiva.com database

Dr Philip Kendall, a psychologist and director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Clinic in America, spoke about the value of treating anxious children with a form of talk therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). During the therapy, the child explores thought and behaviour. They are gradually able to face the activities that may have avoided due to anxiety.

Journal

What Makes Children Anxious
Honig, S. A. (2007). Early Childhood Today; Mar, Vol. 21 Issue 5, p23-24, 2p
Full article available from EbscoHost database

This short and easy to understand article offers a guide on helping anxious children become calm and relaxed. It also identifies the various factors that cause anxious feelings in babies and emphasises the need to become aware of babies who seem temperamental. The author is the Professor Emerita of child development at Syracuse University.

Treatment of Child Anxiety: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Maternal Anxiety and Behaviours In Treatment Outcome
Crewsell, C. et al. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p38-44, 7p
Full article available from EbscoHost database

This study looks at twenty-two children (6-12 years) with anxiety disorder and their mothers receiving cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) for child anxiety. Assessments were made of the mother-child interaction. Due to the small sample size, the findings may not be taken as reliable, but suggest for further investigations. Results show that: (1) Children did less well from treatment where their mothers had a current anxiety disorder, (2). Treatment of maternal anxiety disorder did not improve child treatment outcome and (3) Maternal over-involvement and expression of fear was associated with child treatment outcome. In the context of maternal anxiety disorder, child treatment outcome may be improved by specifically targeting parenting behaviours.

All above articles can be viewed from the National Library Digital Library. Visit http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Search or browse for "Factiva.com" and "EbscoHost". You are required to login to the eResources before using the databases.

NEW ARRIVALS

Take a sneak peak at the new books from the National Library. For more information about the book, search the catalogue at: http://www.nl.sg

Child Psychology: A Contemporary Viewpoint

Parke, Ross D. & Gauvai, M.
Boston : McGraw-Hill, c2009.
Call No.: R 155.4 PAR

This latest edition of a classic psychology text looks at the biological, emotional and cognitive aspects and social growth of children. It incorporates the most recent developments in theory and research in child psychology. Aimed at providing the reader a well-balanced view of the stages of child development, it offers a wide spectrum of discussions on the subject. These include sections on emotional and cognitive development, prenatal development and birth, sexual orientation, romantic relationships among teenagers, trends in children's substance abuse and co-parenting.

The Nutritional Psychology of Childhood

Drewett, R.
Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Call No.: R 613.2083 DRE

This is a book about eating and the developing child. Drawing on research done across the subjects of psychology, nutrition and child health, the author looks at the development of feeding behaviours in babies and young children, and the nutritional problems and deficiencies such as iron deficiency and protein-energy malnutrition. It also looks at trends associating food and intelligence. The nutritional aspects of physical conditions like phenylketonuria, cerebral palsy and other genetic disorders, as well as eating disorders and obesity, are also included.

Written by Sara Pek
Senior Librarian (Reference & Research Services)
National Library Singapore

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National Library picks: Resources for healthy living

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