November 2, 2012
"Delays in diagnosis and treatment of anxiety can lead to depression, substance abuse and poor academic performance throughout childhood and well into adulthood."
Parents with social anxiety are more likely than those with other forms of the disorder to engage in behaviors that put their children at high risk for developing angst of their own, according to a new study.
Johns Hopkins researchers identified a
subset of behaviors in parents with social anxiety disorder - the most prevalent
type of anxiety - and in doing so, clarified some of the confusion that has
shrouded the trickle-down anxiety often seen in parent-child pairs.
These behaviors included a lack of or
insufficient warmth and affection and high levels of criticism and doubt leveled
at the child.
Such behaviors, the researchers say, are
well known to increase anxiety in children and - if engaged in
chronically - can make it more likely for children to develop a full-blown anxiety disorder of their
own, the investigators say.

The researchers analyzed interactions
between 66 anxious parents and their 66 children, ages 7 to 12. Among the
parents, 21 had been previously diagnosed with social anxiety, and 45 had been
diagnosed with another anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder,
panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The parent-child pairs were asked to work together on two tasks: prepare speeches about themselves and to replicate increasingly complex designs using an Etch-a-Sketch device. The participants were given five minutes for each task and worked in rooms under video surveillance.
Using a scale of 1 to 5, the researchers
rated parental warmth and affection toward the child, criticism of the child,
expressed doubts about a child's performance and ability to complete the
task, granting of autonomy and over-control.
Parents diagnosed with social anxiety
showed less warmth and affection toward their children, criticized them more and
more often expressed doubts about a child's ability to perform the task.
Delays in diagnosis and treatment of
anxiety can lead to depression, substance abuse and poor academic performance
throughout childhood and well into adulthood.
The study has been published online ahead
of print in the journal Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
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