Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jul:163:125-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.12.033. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Anxiety disorders in adolescents and psychosocial outcomes at age 30

Cecilia A Essau  1 , Peter M Lewinsohn  2 , Beatriz Olaya  3 , John R Seeley  2
Affiliations

Anxiety disorders in adolescents and psychosocial outcomes at age 30

Cecilia A Essau et al. J Affect Disord. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Anxiety disorders are associated with adverse psychosocial functioning, and are predictive of a wide range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood.

Objective: The present study examined the associations between anxiety disorders during childhood and adolescence and psychosocial outcomes at age 30, and sought to address the extent to which psychopathology after age 19 mediated these relations.

Method: Eight hundred and sixteen participants from a large community sample were interviewed twice during adolescence, at age 24, and at age 30. They completed self-report measures of psychosocial functioning and semi-structured diagnostic interviews during adolescence and young adulthood.

Results: Adolescent anxiety predicted poor total adjustment, poor adjustment at work, poor family relationships, problems with the family unit, less life satisfaction, poor coping skills, and more chronic stress. Adolescent anxiety predicted, substance (SUD), alcohol abuse/dependence (AUD), and anxiety in adulthood. No adult psychopathology mediated the relationship between childhood anxiety disorders and psychosocial outcomes at age 30. Adult, SUD, AUD and anxiety mediated the association between adolescent anxiety and most domains of psychosocial functioning at age 30.

Limitations: The participants are ethically and geographically homogenous, and changes in the diagnostic criteria and the interview schedules across the assessment periods.

Conclusion: Adolescent anxiety, compared to childhood anxiety, is associated with more adverse psychosocial outcomes at age 30. Adolescent anxiety affects negative outcomes at age 30 directly and through adult anxiety, SUD and AUD.

Keywords: Adolescent anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Course of anxiety disorders; Psychosocial impairment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study design.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Aschenbrand SG, Kendall PC, Webb A, Safford SM, Flannery-Schroeder E. Is childhood separation anxiety disorder a predictor of adult panic disorder and agoraphobia? A seven-year longitudinal study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003;42:1478–1485. 2003. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 3rd ed., rev. Author; Washington, DC: 1987.
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed., rev. American Psychiatric Association; Washington: 1994.
    1. Andrews FM, Withey SB. Social indicators of well-being: Americans’ perceptions of life quality. Plenum Press; New York: 1976.
    1. Angold A, Costello EJ, Erkanli A. Comorbidity. Child Psychol Psyc. 1999;40:57–87. - PubMed

Publication types