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Terror catastrophizing: association with anxiety, depression, and transgenerational effects
Shuya Li1, Matt Orr2, Kerstin Jessica Plessen3
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
|July 12, 2024
Summary
Individuals with anxiety and depression show increased terror catastrophizing. Parental terror catastrophizing also elevates children's internalizing symptoms, informing family-centered interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Terror catastrophizing, an ongoing fear of terrorism, is linked to anxiety disorders.
- Limited research exists on terror catastrophizing's association with other mental health conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if anxiety and depression diagnoses correlate with increased terror catastrophizing.
- To investigate if parental terror catastrophizing impacts children's internalizing symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Random sampling from the Danish Civil Registration System.
- Survey assessing terror catastrophizing, parental trauma, and children's internalizing symptoms.
- Generalized linear regression analysis on data from 4,175 participants.
Main Results:
- Anxiety and comorbid depression diagnoses were associated with higher terror catastrophizing.
- Parental terror catastrophizing predicted increased child internalizing symptoms, independent of trauma.
- Statistical significance noted for both findings (p < .001 and p = .006).
Conclusions:
- Clinical practice should consider patient terror catastrophizing tendencies and trauma vulnerability.
- Findings support family-based preventative interventions for terror catastrophizing and child internalizing symptoms.
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