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Review
. 2017 Jun;19(2):137-147.
doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/eaktar.

Environmental transmission of generalized anxiety disorder from parents to children: worries, experiential avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty

Evin Aktar  1 , Milica Nikolić  2 , Susan M Bögels  2
Affiliations
Review

Environmental transmission of generalized anxiety disorder from parents to children: worries, experiential avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty

Evin Aktar et al. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017 Jun.

Abstract
in English, Spanish, French

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) runs in families. Building on recent theoretical approaches, this review focuses on potential environmental pathways for parent-to-child transmission of GAD. First, we address child acquisition of a generalized pattern of fearful/anxious and avoidant responding to potential threat from parents via verbal information and via modeling. Next, we address how parenting behaviors may contribute to maintenance of fearful/anxious and avoidant reactions in children. Finally, we consider intergenerational transmission of worries as a way of coping with experiential avoidance of strong negative emotions and with intolerance of uncertainty. We conclude that parents with GAD may bias their children's processing of potential threats in the environment by conveying the message that the world is not safe, that uncertainty is intolerable, that strong emotions should be avoided, and that worry helps to cope with uncertainty, thereby transmitting cognitive styles that characterize GAD. Our review highlights the need for research on specific pathways for parent-to-child transmission of GAD.

El trastorno de ansiedad generalizada (TAG) ocurre en familias. De acuerdo con aproximaciones teóricas recientes, esta revisión se centra en las potenciales vías ambientales de transmisión del TAG desde los padres a los hijos. Primero, nos enfocamos en la adquisición del niño de un patrón generalizado de respuestas ansioso/ temerosas y de evitación frente a potenciales amenazas de los padres, a través de información verbal y mediante el modelado. Luego, analizamos cómo las conductas parentales pueden contribuir al mantenimiento de reacciones ansioso/temerosas y evitativas en los niños. Por último, consideramos la transmisión intergeneracional de preocupaciones como una forma de adaptación a la evitación experiencial de emociones negativas intensas y a la intolerancia a la incertidumbre. Concluimos que los padres con TAG pueden sesgar en sus hijos el procesamiento de potenciales amenazas ambientales, transmitiendo el mensaje que el mundo no es seguro, que la incertidumbre no es tolerable, que las emociones intensas deben ser evitadas y que las preocupaciones ayudan a adaptarse a la incertidumbre, con lo que se transmiten estilos cognitivos que caracterizan al TAG. Nuestra revisión destaca la necesidad de una investigación orientada a vías específicas de la transmisión del TAG desde los padres a los hijos.

Les troubles de l'anxiété généralisée (TAG) sont familiaux. S'appuyant sur des approches théoriques récentes, cet article s'attache aux voies environnementales potentielles de la transmission des TAG des parents aux enfants. Tout d'abord, nous nous intéressons à l'acquisition par l'enfant d'un schéma généralisé de réponse craintive/anxieuse et évitante à une menace potentielle transmise par les parents via une information verbale et une modélisation. Puis nous abordons la façon dont les comportements parentaux peuvent contribuer au maintien des réactions craintives/anxieuses et évitantes chez les enfants. Enfin, nous analysons la transmission intergénérationnelle de l'inquiétude comme une façon de s'adapter à l'évitement des émotions négatives fortes et à l'intolérance à l'incertitude. Nous concluons que les parents ayant un TAG peuvent influer sur les processus de menaces potentiels de l'environnement pour leurs enfants en transmettant que le monde n'est pas sûr, que l'incertitude est intolérable, que les émotions fortes doivent être évitées et que l'inquiétude aide à supporter l'incertitude, transmettant ainsi les schémas cognitifs qui caractérisent les TAG. Notre article souligne le besoin de recherche sur les voies spécifiques de transmission des TAG des parents aux enfants.

Keywords: experiential avoidance; generalized anxiety; intolerance of uncertainty; parenting; worry.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. An overview of the potential environmental pathways in parent-to-child transmission of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Specific pathways for GAD transmission are presented in dark gray, and general pathways for anxiety transmission are presented in light gray.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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