Stressful Life Events and Child Anxiety: Examining Parent and Child Mediators

Abstract

While a number of factors have been linked with excessive anxiety (e.g., parenting, child temperament), the impact of stressful life events remains under-studied. Moreover, much of this literature has examined bivariate associations rather than testing more complex theoretical models. The current study extends the literature on life events and child anxiety by testing a theory-driven meditational model. Specifically, one child factor (child cognitions/locus of control), two parent factors (parent psychopathology and parenting stress), and two parent-child relationship factors (parent-child dysfunctional interaction and parenting style) were examined as mediators in the relationship between stressful life events and severity of child anxiety. One hundred and thirty anxious parents and their nonanxious, high-risk children (ages ranged from 7 to 13 years) participated in this study. Results indicated that levels of parenting stress, parental anxious rearing, and dysfunctional parent-child interaction mediated the association between stressful life events and severity of anxiety symptoms. Child cognition and parent psychopathology factors failed to emerge as mediators. Findings provide support for more complex theoretical models linking life events and child anxiety and suggest potential targets of intervention.

A parent’s perspective of the bidirectional impact of mental illness in families

“…Parent interviews reaffirmed previously well-documented difficulties relating to school, stigma, community and supports. Social difficulties, highlighted earlier, are in line with Platt et al [35] who found events, such as school problems, may increase parental stress and child anxiety. Bibou-Nakou [36] and Reupert and Maybery [14] have suggested school staff may not have training or knowledge on what to do in relation to mental illness, an issue identified here.…”

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, family functioning, and mental health problems among children and adolescents: a systematic review

“…There were differences between studies depending on whether it was the mother or the father of the child who was reporting on FF and parental MH problems (Burstein et al , ; Wang et al , ). Five of the studies which reported this association reported on differences in specific aspects of FF which did or did not mediate the relationship between ACEs and MH (Breaux et al , ; Burstein et al , ; Li et al , ; Platt et al , ; Wang et al , ). For example, Li and colleagues (2017) reported that among children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), the parent‐child relationship mediated the relationship between physical abuse and anger management, but not aggressive behaviour.…”

Supporting paediatric patients: Parental presence in the anaesthetic journey

“…Direct questions that are simple and descriptive are helpful if the child is scared; they will not answer open-ended questions 44,46 . 'Gaze tracking', when the child follows the interaction of the anaesthetist and others, is an indication that the child's response is positive 47 as it demonstrates the child is taking notice and is focused, since listener responses are naturally a shaking of the head and verbal responses are non-existent in preschoolaged children 46 . Older children and adolescents can be engaged when asked about their interests.…”