Examining potential risk factors for anxiety in early childhood

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are amongst the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, with occurrence emerging early in the developmental trajectory. This study was one of the first to investigate potential risk factors for anxiety (i.e., behavioural inhibition, parental negative affect, parenting stress) in early childhood. Examination of risk factors was achieved through structural equation modelling and based on mothers' and fathers' report of 236 preschool aged children (4-6 years) in Brisbane, Australia. The structural model was found to fit the data well. All direct predictors of early childhood anxiety were significant and behavioural inhibition partially mediated parents' negative affectivity and mother's parenting stress. Results highlight the unique contribution of both parents in the aetiology of early childhood anxiety and assist in informing the development of intervention and prevention programs for young children.