Childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and anxiety in emerging adulthood: Indirect effects of perceived stress.

BACKGROUND: Although childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors is associated with elevated anxiety in emerging adulthood, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. Perceived stress-a subjective experience comprised of feelings of helplessness (being unable to cope or exert control) and poor self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to manage stressors)-is one candidate mechanism. The present investigation examined the underlying role of perceived stress in the association between childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and anxiety symptom severity in a sample of emerging adults. METHODS: Participants (N = 855; Mage = 18.75 years, SD = 1.05, range 18-24; 70.8% female) were recruited from a large state university and administered a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing constructs of interest. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that only greater childhood exposure to maternal threatening behaviors was directly associated with greater feelings of helplessness and lower self-efficacy. Furthermore, only childhood exposure to maternal threatening behaviors was indirectly associated with anxiety severity through greater feelings of helplessness and lower self-efficacy. In contrast, childhood exposure to paternal threatening behaviors was neither directly nor indirectly associated with anxiety severity. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a cross-sectional design, use of self-report measures, and a nonclinical sample. Replicating these findings in a clinical sample and testing the hypothesized model in a longitudinal design is necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the need for intervention efforts that screen for and target perceived stress in emerging adults exposed to negative maternal parenting behaviors.

Fearful Temperament, Catastrophizing, and Internalizing Symptoms in Clinically Anxious Youth.

A fearful temperament in childhood is associated with child internalizing symptoms. However, the cognitive mechanisms explaining this association are poorly understood. We examined the effects of child fearful temperament on child internalizing symptoms and the underlying role of catastrophizing cognitions among clinically anxious youth. Children (N = 105; M age = 10.09 years, SD = 1.22; 56.7% female; 62% ethnic minority) completed a diagnostic interview; self-report measures of temperament, catastrophizing, and internalizing symptoms; and behaviorally-indexed measures of catastrophizing and anxiety. Indirect effects were found for child fearful temperament on child self-reported internalizing symptoms by way of self-reported (but not behaviorally-indexed) catastrophizing cognitions. Models predicting behaviorally-indexed child anxiety were not significant. Our findings suggest that targeting fearful temperament during childhood before catastrophizing cognitions develop may have clinical utility. Likewise, among children temperamentally at-risk, addressing catastrophic cognitions may prevent later internalizing psychopathology.