PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF CHILDHOOD ANXIETY DISORDERS

Objective: This study explored psychosocial and ''environmental'' corr elates of childhood anxiety disorders. The study examined relationship s among parental psychiatric symptomatology, perceived family environm ent, temperament, and self-competence in children with a DSM-III-R anx iety disorder. Method: A community sample of third through sixth grade rs was screened initially for symptoms of test anxiety. Those with hig h and low scores were administered the Anxiety Disorders Interview Sch edule for Children. Three groups (childhood anxiety disorder, test-anx ious only, and normal controls) were identified and compared on the ps ychosocial variables. Results: Children with an anxiety disorder had g reater impairment on the indices of perceived self-competence and temp eramental flexibility than controls, with the test-anxious children sh owing intermediate, yet significant, levels of disturbance. There was a trend for children with an anxiety disorder to describe their famili es as less promoting of independence than the other groups. Finally, m easures of parental psychiatric symptomatology revealed more obsessive -compulsive symptoms for the fathers of both the anxiety disorder and test-anxious children compared with controls. Conclusions: Results are consistent with previous findings suggesting the familial transmissio n of anxiety disorders and recent speculations regarding a relationshi p between behavioral inhibition, environmental control, and anxiety. F urther research may isolate psychosocial and family environmental fact ors as instrumental treatment targets in the management of childhood a nxiety disorders.