Publication year
2002
Citation Title
Anxiety sensitivity among children of parents with anxiety disorders: A controlled high-risk study.
Journal Name
Anxiety Disorders
Journal Volume
16
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
135-148
DOI
10.1016/S0887-6185(01)00095-0
Summary
When a parent has a mental health disorder, it may affect the environment in which children live, which may have certain effects on the children. Researchers interviewed 340 children and their parents with and without mood disorders, anxiety disorders, or both to evaluate whether parental mental health status predisposed children to elevated anxiety sensitivity. Results suggested that parental psychopathology did not predispose children to anxiety sensitivity.
Key Findings
Children did not have greater fear of anxiety if they had a parent with a mental health diagnosis.
The type of mental health diagnosis a parent had was not associated with children's fear of anxiety either.
Children in this study did, on average, express some fear of anxiety.
Implications for Military Professionals
Educate children about the physical sensations of anxiety, why they occur, and what they mean
Form relationships with military youth in order to identify those who may be most at risk for the development of high anxiety
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop workshops for military-affiliated youth that include strategies for managing anxiety (e.g., breathing exercises, imagery, muscle relaxation)
Provide opportunities for highly anxious military youth to engage with peers and adults in a supportive environment
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs for military youth that work to lessen anxiety during potentially high-stress times
Encourage training for professionals who work with military families regarding youth anxiety and how to lessen the experience of it
Methods
Potentially eligible families were identified from three outpatient psychiatric clinics and a dental clinic in New York State.
Parents and children participated in standard diagnostic interviews, and children completed a questionnaire about their fear of symptoms of anxiety.
Data were analyzed to determine if children's fear of anxiety differed based on parental mental health diagnoses.
Participants
Participants included 340 children of parents with (n = 261) and without (n = 79) past or present diagnoses of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, or both.
The sample included 46% boys and 54% girls. Of the children, 76% were White, 11% were Black, and 8% were Latino.
The average age of the children was 11.5 years old (range: 6 to 17 years, 11 months).
Limitations
Youth diagnostic interviews were performed; however, youth diagnoses were not included in analyses. It is possible that there are aspects of youth anxiety aside from fear of anxiety that are related to parent diagnoses.
The authors note that youth with parents without mental health diagnoses had more fear of anxiety than general samples have had in other studies. This may have contributed to the resulting lack of significant differences between controls and other study groups.
The findings are based on a sample exclusively from the New York metro area, so they may not be applicable to other youth.
Avenues for Future Research
Evaluate the associations between parental mental health diagnoses and other difficulties youth encounter
Consider the relationship between parental mental health diagnoses and youth mental health diagnoses
Examine the efficacy of programs to help decrease youth stress
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
We investigated whether parental anxiety was related to anxiety sensitivity (AS) in offspring. Subjects were 261 offspring (aged 6–17 years) of parents with lifetime DSM-IV anxiety and/or mood disorders, and 79 offspring of parents with no lifetime anxiety, mood, or psychotic disorder. Parents and offspring were interviewed by blind clinicians. Children were administered the Child Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI). There were no significant differences between CASI scores of the offspring of parents with anxiety and/or mood disorders, and offspring of comparison parents. We conclude that parental anxiety or mood disorder does not predispose offspring to high anxiety sensitivity.
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