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Perinatal complications are associated with social anxiety: Indirect effects through temperament

Gabriela L Suarez1, Santiago Morales1,2, Kelly Metcalf2

  • 1Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, The University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.

Infant and Child Development
|March 25, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Perinatal complications are linked to higher child social anxiety and behavioral inhibition (BI). This relationship may be indirectly influenced by a child's temperament, specifically BI.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Perinatal complications are associated with increased risk for later psychopathology.
  • Child temperament, particularly behavioral inhibition (BI), is a known correlate of anxiety disorders.
  • The mediating role of temperament in the link between perinatal factors and social anxiety remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between perinatal complications and social anxiety symptoms in children aged 9-12.
  • To examine the potential indirect effect of child temperament, specifically BI, on this relationship.
  • To explore the mediating role of BI in the association between perinatal complications and social anxiety.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 149 children (ages 9-12) and their parents.
  • Assessment of perinatal complications via parent report.
  • Screening for behavioral inhibition (BI) and assessment of social anxiety symptoms using parent and child reports.

Main Results:

  • Children with a history of perinatal complications exhibited significantly higher levels of BI and social anxiety.
  • A significant indirect effect was found, indicating that perinatal complications predict social anxiety via BI.
  • These findings support the established link between perinatal complications and anxiety, highlighting temperament as a key mediator.

Conclusions:

  • Perinatal complications represent a risk factor for developing social anxiety in childhood.
  • Child temperament, specifically behavioral inhibition, plays a mediating role in this pathway.
  • These results underscore the importance of considering early life factors and temperament in understanding child anxiety development.

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