Background In Rachman’s three-pathway theory of fear acquisition, negative information transmission as provided by parents plays a crucial role in the intrafamilial transfer of fear in children. To...Show moreBackground In Rachman’s three-pathway theory of fear acquisition, negative information transmission as provided by parents plays a crucial role in the intrafamilial transfer of fear in children. To date, little research has been devoted to specific mechanisms underpinning this process within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective The aim of the present study was to explore the mediating role of rumination emotion regulation strategy in the link between parental trait anxiety and the frequency with which parents communicate threatening information about Covid-19 to their children. Methods The sample consisted of 332 parents(75.9% mothers and 24.1% fathers) living in the Netherlands who completed online questionnaires measuring their trait anxiety (the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Adult version; SCARED-A), cognitive emotion regulation (the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; CERQ), and their perspective on the transmission of negative information regarding Covid-19 (adapted version of the Fears of Swine Flu Questionnaire; FSFQ). Results Against expectations, rumination did not mediate the link between parental trait anxiety and verbal fear transmission. It was found that parental trait anxiety was positively associated with rumination. Verbal fear transmission was not related to parental trait anxiety nor rumination. Discussion The findings underscore the importance of mental well-being of parents in the pandemic situation, which should be addressed in family interventions. Furthermore, the obtained results suggest that there might be other indirect pathways involved in the parental fear transmission mechanism.Show less
