The transmission of anxiety from parent to child, as well as the influence of attachment style on anxiety, have widely been studied in isolation. In an attempt to replicate, as well as integrate...Show moreThe transmission of anxiety from parent to child, as well as the influence of attachment style on anxiety, have widely been studied in isolation. In an attempt to replicate, as well as integrate these findings into a preventative framework, the overarching aim of the current cross-sectional study was to investigate whether attachment moderates the intergenerational transmission of anxiety. The sample comprised 73 children of parents with an anxiety disorder (at-risk group), and 83 children of parents without an anxiety disorder (control group). Parent disorders included and were limited to social anxiety disorder (n = 25), panic disorder (n = 42), and a combination of panic and social anxiety disorder (n = 6). Attachment to peers was measured with the single-item self-report attachment questionnaire (AQ-C). Moreover, the child respondents, aged between 7 and 15 years (M = 10.2, SD = 1.6), completed a self-report measure of anxiety symptoms (SCARED-71). First, contrary to expectations, parent disorder did not predict child anxiety symptoms in a regression analysis. Secondly, as indicated by a non-significant interaction effect, attachment did not moderate the relationship between parent disorder and child anxiety symptoms. Lastly, in line with our hypothesis, insecure attachment was related to heightened total, social, and separation anxiety symptoms. Medium effect sizes were obtained (η² > .06). The attachment-anxiety link highlights the importance of promoting a secure attachment style with parents and peers. Ultimately, attachment-based interventions could mitigate anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, future longitudinal studies, employing multi-informant anxiety reports, are needed to clarify and replicate the current findings.Show less
