Parental internalizing symptoms as predictors of anxiety symptoms in clinic-referred children

Krister Westlye Fjermestad; Christina Lium; Einar R. Heiervang; Odd E. Havik; Bente Storm Mowatt Haugland; Ingvar Bjelland; Gro Janne Henningsen Wergeland

doi:10.21307/sjcapp-2020-003

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Parental internalizing symptoms as predictors of anxiety symptoms in clinic-referred children

Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 1 (January 2020)

By: Krister Westlye Fjermestad, Christina Lium, Einar R. Heiervang, Odd E. Havik, Bente Storm Mowatt Haugland, Ingvar Bjelland and Gro Janne Henningsen Wergeland

Open Access

|Mar 2020

Abstract

Background:

Mothers’ and fathers’ internalizing symptoms may influence children’s anxiety symptoms differently.

Objective:

To explore the relationship between parental internalizing symptoms and children’s anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of children with anxiety disorders.

Method:

The sample was recruited through community mental health clinics for a randomized controlled anxiety treatment trial. At pre-intervention, children (n = 182), mothers (n = 165), and fathers (n = 72) reported children’s anxiety symptoms. Mothers and fathers also reported their own internalizing symptoms. The children were aged 8 to 15 years (M_age = 11.5 years, SD = 2.1, 52.2% girls) and all had a diagnosis of separation anxiety, social phobia, and/or generalized anxiety disorder. We examined parental internalizing symptoms as predictors of child anxiety symptoms in multiple regression models.

Results:

Both mother and father rated internalizing symptoms predicted children’s self-rated anxiety levels (adj. R² = 22.0%). Mother-rated internalizing symptoms predicted mother-rated anxiety symptoms in children (adj. R² = 7.0%). Father-rated internalizing symptoms did not predict father-rated anxiety in children.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should incorporate parental level of internalizing symptoms in their case conceptualizations.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2020-003 | Journal eISSN: 2245-8875

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Language: English

Page range: 18 - 24

Published on: Mar 18, 2020

Published by: Center for Evidence-based Psychiatry

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

Keywords:

children,

adolescents,

parents,

anxiety,

anxiety disorders

Related subjects:

Medicine,

Basic medical science,

Basic medical science, other

© 2020 Krister Westlye Fjermestad, Christina Lium, Einar R. Heiervang, Odd E. Havik, Bente Storm Mowatt Haugland, Ingvar Bjelland, Gro Janne Henningsen Wergeland, published by Center for Evidence-based Psychiatry
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 1 (January 2020)