Anxiety in children: Perceived family environments and observed family interaction

TLDR

Socialization, family systems, and attachment theories frame how tolerance and acceptance of negative emotions within families influence child anxiety. The study examined whether families of children with anxiety differ from controls in parenting warmth, autonomy, and observed interaction styles. Children and parents completed self‑reports on warmth/acceptance and autonomy/control, while independent observers rated these constructs during a discussion task. Observers found parents of anxious children granted less psychological autonomy, and anxious children perceived their parents as less accepting compared to controls.

Abstract

Abstract Assessed differences between families with a child diagnosed with anxiety disorder and control families on self-report measures of parenting and independent observers' ratings of family interaction. Children rated their parents, and parents rated themselves on the parental variables of warmth/acceptance and psychological autonomy/control. Similar constructs were rated by independent observers of family interaction generated via a revealed differences discussion task. Parents of children with anxiety disorders were rated by observers as less granting of psychological autonomy than controls. In addition, children with anxiety disorders rated both their mothers and fathers as less accepting than control children rated their parents. Results are discussed in terms of socialization, family systems, and attachment theories regarding the tolerance and acceptance of different and/or negative emotions within families. The possible relation of family interaction styles to the internalizing disorders in childhood is explored.