Does shy-inhibited temperament in childhood lead to anxiety problems in adolescence?

Objective: To assess the relationships between shy-inhibited temperament in childhood and anxiety problems in early adolescence using a prospective, l ongitudinal data set from a large community sample. Method: Relationships b etween shyness ratings on age-appropriate temperament scales and anxiety pr oblems were analyzed, looking both forward and backward in time from infanc y to adolescence. Results: Forty-two percent of children rated as shy on 6 or more occasions over 8 surveys in childhood had anxiety problems in adole scence, compared with 11% who were never shy. Persistence of shyness and it s presence in middle childhood increased risk for anxiety. A highly reactiv e temperament added to shyness did not increase the risk for anxiety. Few c hildren with an anxiety diagnosis in early adolescence had a history of shy ness. Conclusions: Prediction from childhood shyness to adolescent anxiety disorder is modest but clinically meaningful in a community sample. However , most shy children did not develop an anxiety disorder and most adolescent s with anxiety disorders had not been especially shy.