417 - Examining the Relationship Between Anxiety and Adaptive Functioning in Children with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion in Adolescence

Saturday, April 29, 2023

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Poster Number: 417
Publication Number: 417.207

Aishwarya Kolli, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Mountain House, CA, United States; Kathleen Angkustsiri, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Aishwarya Kolli, BS (she/her/hers)

Student
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Mountain House, California, United States

Background: Individuals with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion (22q; Velocardiofacial or DiGeorge) syndrome are at increased risk for anxiety. In children ages 7-14 years, higher anxiety scores are related to lower adaptive functioning (AF; real-world living skills that support independence). However, this has yet to be explored in adolescence.

Objective: To examine the relation between anxiety and AF in teens ages 12-18 years with 22q compared to typically developing (TD) peers.

Design/Methods: Participants were part of a larger study of psychosis proneness in 22q and included 107 (58 22q; 49 TD) adolescents of which 52 were female, 55 were male. Mean age was 14.8 +/- 2.1 years. Study procedures of interest included parent-completed questionnaires, such as the BASC-2 (Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition) and ABAS-II (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition). BASC-2 anxiety and ABAS-II GAC (Global Adaptive Composite) scores were compared using t-tests (for means) and chi-square (%). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relations between variables.

Results:
26.2% of 22q participants had elevated anxiety scores t >60 compared to only 1.9% of TD participants (p < 0.01) . Mean anxiety scores were significantly higher in the 22q group (table 1; p< 0.01), and AF was significantly lower compared to TD (p< 0.01) . Anxiety and AF were negatively correlated in both the 22q (r= -0.27; p = 0.04 See figure 1) and TD (r= -0.32; p< 0.01) groups.

Conclusion(s): Similar to findings in school-aged children, anxiety is common in adolescents with 22q and negatively impacts AF. While anxiety is less prevalent in TD teens, it is also related to AF and affects independent living skills. This data suggests that anxiety continues into adolescence and impacts everyday function in individuals with 22q.