Further evidence of association between behavioral inhibition and social anxiety in children

Objective: The authors sought to examine psychopathological correlates of b ehavioral inhibition in young offspring of parents with panic disorder and/ or major depression. Method. Behavioral inhibition, determined by using standard laboratory obse rvations, was assessed in four groups of children (age 2-6 years): 129 chil dren of parents with both panic disorder and major depression, 22 children of parents with panic disorder alone, 49 children of parents with major dep ression alone, and 84 comparison children of parents with neither panic dis order nor major depression. Psychopathology in children greater than or equ al to5 years was compared between children with behavioral inhibition (N=64 ) and without (N=152). Results: Social anxiety disorder (social phobia or avoidant disorder) was s ignificantly more likely to be found in the children with behavioral inhibi tion (17%) than in those without (5%). Noninhibited children were significa ntly more likely than inhibited children to have disruptive behavior disord ers (20% versus 6%, respectively) and had higher scores on the attention pr oblems scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (mean=52.1 versus 50.8). Conclusions: This study adds to the growing literature suggesting an associ ation between behavioral inhibition and social anxiety disorder and an inve rse relationship between inhibition and disruptive behavior disorders.