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Parental anxiety and offspring development: A systematic review
Shaun Sweeney1, Charlotte Wilson1
1Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|February 5, 2023
Summary
Parental anxiety negatively affects child development across all ages. Both maternal and paternal anxiety are linked to poorer child outcomes, with maternal anxiety showing a stronger influence in adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Parental anxiety is a known risk factor for offspring emotional and behavioral issues.
- The distinct impact of maternal versus paternal anxiety on child development requires further clarification.
- Changing parental roles necessitate updated understanding of anxiety's influence on children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on the association between parental anxiety and adverse child outcomes.
- To investigate the differential impact of maternal and paternal anxiety on offspring development.
- To synthesize findings across infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies from Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar.
- Inclusion of relevant papers and search of reference lists.
- Analysis and grouping of data based on offspring age.
Main Results:
- Parental anxiety negatively impacts offspring functioning across infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
- The association between parental anxiety and child outcomes is weak and equivocal in infancy.
- A robust association is observed in childhood for both mothers and fathers, with maternal anxiety appearing more influential in adolescence.
Conclusions:
- Both maternal and paternal anxiety can adversely affect child development.
- Preventative and systemic family interventions are crucial to mitigate intergenerational mental health transmission.
- Further research is needed to address methodological heterogeneity and timing variations in existing studies.
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