Do Parental Internalizing Symptoms and Family Stress Predict Child Anxiety Symptoms? Findings from a clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Anxiety disorders are prevalent among youth, and may have significant negative long-term impact on individuals’ functioning, as well as leading to other difficulties later in life. Therefore, studies are needed to examine possible contributors to anxiety problems in children. Objective: This thesis will focus on family factors which may influence child anxiety. The thesis will investigate the relationship between parental internalizing symptoms, family stress, and child anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of children. Method: The data material is obtained from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) which was conducted in seven public child and adolescent mental health outpatient clinics in Western Norway (Wergeland et al., 2014). The sample consisted of children (N = 182, M age = 11.5 years, range 7-15 years), with social phobia, separation anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder, mothers (N = 165), and fathers (N = 72). Child anxiety symptoms were assessed by the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), through child-, mother-, and father-report. Parental internalizing symptoms was assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), through mother- and father- report. Family stress was assessed by the Family Stress Scale (FSS), which is a part of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), through parent-report. Pearson product-moment correlations and standard multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: There were significant correlations between fathers’ internalizing symptoms and child self-rated anxiety symptoms; between mothers’ internalizing symptoms and mother-rated child anxiety symptoms; and between family stress and both mother-rated child anxiety symptoms and mothers’ internalizing symptoms. Fathers’ internalizing symptoms was a significant predictor of children’s self-rated anxiety symptoms. Mother-father correspondence regarding how they rated anxiety symptoms in the child was higher than parent-child correspondence. Conclusions: Findings suggest differences in how mothers’ and fathers’ internalizing symptoms may influence anxiety symptoms in children with anxiety disorders, and family stress may play a role in maternal internalizing symptoms and anxiety symptoms in children with anxiety disorders. Findings are discussed in the light of the existing literature.