Abstract
Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may
allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address
how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and
sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in
a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool
(age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early
child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported
anxiety outcomes and mediated the effects of maternal and family risk factors. Implications for early intervention and prevention
studies are discussed.
allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address
how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and
sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in
a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool
(age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early
child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported
anxiety outcomes and mediated the effects of maternal and family risk factors. Implications for early intervention and prevention
studies are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-010-9476-0
- Authors
- Nicholas D. Mian, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, 617-794-9515, USA
- Laurel Wainwright, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, 617-794-9515, USA
- Margaret J. Briggs-Gowan, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT USA
- Alice S. Carter, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, 617-794-9515, USA
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627