The Correlation Among Family Relationship, Anxiety and Fears of School-Age Children Studying in Inclusive Education, Nan Primary Education Service Area Office 1

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study with the objective to examine the level of anxiety, fears, and family relationship among school-age children in the inclusive education system at Nan primary education service area office1. The sample group consisted of 429 individuals, including children aged 9-12 and their primary caregivers, totaling 858 participants. The research utilized four instruments: a basic socio-demographic data collection form, the Family Attachment Changeability Index 8 (FACI8) questionnaire in Thai, the Thai State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children-Revised (STAIC-R) questionnaire, and the Fear Survey Schedule for Children and Adolescents-II (FSSC-II) in Thai. The research findings showed that the average age of the sample group was 10.74. There were 294 children (68.5%) who exhibited age-appropriate development, while 135 children (31.5%) had special needs. Regarding anxiety levels, 62.6% of the sample group exhibited low levels of state, while 53.4% displayed high trait anxiety. The fear scores, particularly in fear of death and danger, ranked highest (Mean = 3.75, SD = 0.79). Most of the sample group had midrange family type, with 62.9% exhibiting this trend. Factors found to be associated with state anxiety levels include age, educational level, family members with special needs, and total family income per month. Factors associated with trait anxiety levels include gender, educational level, father's occupation, and living arrangements with parents, all statistically significant at p < .05. Additionally, negative correlations were found between family relationship scores and state anxiety scores (r = -.27, p < .001) and trait anxiety scores (r = -.26, p < .001), with family relationship scores not significantly correlated with fear scores. In conclusion, the fundamental and socio-psychological aspects of individuals are associated with their experience of anxiety. As such, understanding these factors can guide the development of programs aimed at promoting individual wellness in the future.