Factors associated with the development of child anxiety

• Main Author: Line, Elizabeth A.
• Published: University of Oxford 2011
• Subjects: 618.928522
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.556190

Anxiety during childhood, although a normative experience that is typically transient and short-lived in nature, persists in a minority of children to the point where a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder may be warranted. Relatively little is known as to why some children develop pathological forms of anxiety whilst others do not. An understanding of how anxiety and fear arise during childhood is required in order to identify the processes and mechanisms through which anxiety disorders develop. The first paper presents an integrative review of how cognitive development is associated with changes in normative fear and anxiety during childhood. Consideration is given to how cognitive development is conceptualised within the literature (i.e. general versus specific measures) and methodological limitations discussed. An attempt is made to position specific cognitive abilities associated with fear and anxiety within a developmental framework and to consider trajectories and associations with anxiety over time. The second paper presents an empirical study investigating developmental differences in impact of parental controlling behaviours on child anxiety observed during a speech task. The socio-cognitive development and age of each child was considered, with particular emphasis on how children interpreted the motives and beliefs behind their parents' controlling behaviour. Controlling parenting during a 1 O-minute preparation for the child's speech task did not result in significant changes in anxiety in either age group (4-5 years, 7-8 years). When parents were less controlling, younger children showed a trend towards more anxious behaviours during the speech task. Children in each age group interpreted controlling parenting in different ways and this was a function of a general ability to interpret thoughts, beliefs and feelings of other people. Implications for clinical practice and directions for further research into the role of parenting practices in the development of child anxiety are discussed.