Leiden University Student Repository

Lindhout, Tessa (2021)

De intergenerationele overdracht van angst: het gevolg van indringende ervaringen in het leven van ouders

Bachelor thesis | Psychologie (BSc)

This study investigated the mediating effect of parental anxiety symptoms in the relationship between impactful parental experiences, and anxiety symptoms in children. Its research population consisted of children of parents without anxiety disorders, the healthy test group (n = 68), and children of at least one parent with a panic disorder, the panic test group (n = 40). The children were on average 10.11 years old (SD = 1.56). The children’s anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders71 (SCARED-71), while parental anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-A (SCARED-A). Impactful parental experiences were assessed using a modified version of the List of Threatening Experiences (LTE). No mediation effect was found in the panic test group, but parental anxiety symptoms did significantly predict anxiety symptoms in children. The absence of the mediation effect may be connected to...Show moreThis study investigated the mediating effect of parental anxiety symptoms in the relationship between impactful parental experiences, and anxiety symptoms in children. Its research population consisted of children of parents without anxiety disorders, the healthy test group (n = 68), and children of at least one parent with a panic disorder, the panic test group (n = 40). The children were on average 10.11 years old (SD = 1.56). The children’s anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders71 (SCARED-71), while parental anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-A (SCARED-A). Impactful parental experiences were assessed using a modified version of the List of Threatening Experiences (LTE). No mediation effect was found in the panic test group, but parental anxiety symptoms did significantly predict anxiety symptoms in children. The absence of the mediation effect may be connected to the parents receiving treatment for their panic disorder when the impactful experiences occurred. This may have weakened the predictive effect of impactful experiences on parental anxiety symptoms. However, the mediation effect was identified in the healthy test group, as an indirect effect. This confirms that the chances of children developing an anxiety disorder increase, when an impactful experience increases their healthy parent's anxiety symptoms. Some anxiety disorders in children can potentially be prevented, by offering parents appropriate treatment for anxiety symptoms after experiencing an impactful event. Due to the limitations of this study, further research should be conducted to confirm its results.Show less

Author

Lindhout, Tessa

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

Voogd, L. de
Asscheman, S.

ECTS Credits

15

Evaluation

Recommended

Language

nl