Symptoms of Anxiety and Associated Risk and Protective Factors in Young Asian American Children

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health problems in young children but there has been a dearth of studies focusing
on Asian American children. This study examines the patterns and the predictors of childhood anxiety and related symptoms
in young children in a diverse Asian American (ASA) sample (n = 101). Findings indicate that ASA children are at higher risk for anxiety, somatization, and depressive problems than their
peers. Parents’ level of acculturation (i.e., American identity, English competence), parental negative emotion socialization,
conflicted parent–child relationship, child emotional knowledge and adaptive skills, as well as teachers’ ethnic background
and school class types were all associated with ASA children’s anxiety. A combination of cultural, family, and school factors
explained from 17 to 39 % of the variance in anxiety symptoms. Findings inform prevention services for young ASA children.