Parental representations of patients with anxiety neurosis

Using a reliable and valid self-report measure of fundamental parental characteristics, the parental representations of 50 anxiety neurotic patients were examined in a controlled study. The patients reported significantly less parental care and greater parental over-protection. Two explanations are favoured. First, the parental characteristics and the higher levels of anxiety in the subjects may be expressions of a third factor, high familial anxiety. Second, that such parental characteristics may be antecedent causes of greater anxiety.