Understanding Child Anxiety: The Role of Behavioural Inhibition and Parental Anxiety

Background Behavioural inhibition (BI) and parental anxiety in childhood are considered strong predictors of anxiety problems later in life. Therefore, the transgenerational transmission of anxiety may occur by anxious parents fostering high levels of BI in their child, particularly by displaying and re-enforcing inhibitory behaviours. This subsequently elevates child anxiety. However, approximately only two studies have investigated the mediation effect of BI in the relationship between parental anxiety and child anxiety. Objective The aim of this study was to observe the extent to which child BI mediates the relationship between parental anxiety and child anxiety in a Dutch-speaking sample. It was hypothesised that, 1. Parental anxiety would predict child anxiety, 2. Parental anxiety would predict child BI, and 3. Child BI would explain the transmission of anxiety from parent to child. Methods Compared to previous research, this study is cross sectional with the data being...Show moreBackground Behavioural inhibition (BI) and parental anxiety in childhood are considered strong predictors of anxiety problems later in life. Therefore, the transgenerational transmission of anxiety may occur by anxious parents fostering high levels of BI in their child, particularly by displaying and re-enforcing inhibitory behaviours. This subsequently elevates child anxiety. However, approximately only two studies have investigated the mediation effect of BI in the relationship between parental anxiety and child anxiety. Objective The aim of this study was to observe the extent to which child BI mediates the relationship between parental anxiety and child anxiety in a Dutch-speaking sample. It was hypothesised that, 1. Parental anxiety would predict child anxiety, 2. Parental anxiety would predict child BI, and 3. Child BI would explain the transmission of anxiety from parent to child. Methods Compared to previous research, this study is cross sectional with the data being collected from a longitudinal study, the Cool Little Kids (CLK), an anxiety intervention programme. In total, 154 parents participated in the programme and had their anxiety levels measured with the STAI questionnaire. Parents also completed the BIQ-SF questionnaire that measured their child’s BI, and the PAS-R questionnaire that measured their child’s anxiety. Data on child BI and child anxiety was collected from approximately 154 children aged 2-7 years old, 67 boys and 87 girls. Data collected prior to the intervention was used for the mediation analysis that was carried out via the PROCESS macro software on SPSS. Results Results showed that increased parental anxiety predicted an increase in child anxiety and that BI was a predictor of child anxiety at 95% CI. However, no mediation of BI was found as parental anxiety did not demonstrate an association with BI. Conclusions Overall, the study’s findings highlight the impact of parental anxiety on parental behaviour and on child anxiety symptoms. Therefore, anxiety interventions regarding toddlers should persist in targeting parental behaviours. Future research is necessary on the mediation of BI between parental anxiety and child anxiety, particularly consisting of diagnostic and observational data. This will provide clarity and direction to the current limited and mixed evidence.Show less

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Understanding Child Anxiety: The Role of Behavioural Inhibition and Parental Anxiety