Dc. Beidel et Sm. Turner, AT RISK FOR ANXIETY .1. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN THE OFFSPRING OF ANXIOUS PARENTS, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(7), 1997, pp. 918-924
Objective and Method: Children of parents with anxiety disorders, depr
essive disorders, mixed anxiety/depressive disorders, and no psychiatr
ic disorder were assessed with semistructured interviews to determine
rates of overall psychopathology and to determine specifically the pre
sence of anxiety disorders. Results: Children of the three ''high-risk
'' groups were significantly more likely to have a diagnosable disorde
r (including anxiety disorders) than offspring of normal parents, but
there were no differences among the children from the three parental d
iagnostic groups. However, when examined specifically for anxiety diso
rders, offspring of anxious parents were significantly more likely to
have only anxiety disorders. Offspring of depressed or mixed anxious/d
epressed parents had a broader range of disorders and more comorbid di
sorders. Family socioeconomic status was related to the probability th
at a child would have a disorder. Conclusions: Anxiety disorders are c
ommon among offspring of anxious and depressed parents. However, when
a parent has depression, children exhibit a broader range of psychopat
hology than when a parent has an anxiety disorder alone.