Behavioural inhibition and the prevention of internalising distress in early childhood

An inhibited temperamental style has been identified as one of the core risks for the later development of anxiety and related disorders. Several additional risks are believed to interact with child inhibition, including parent emotionality, parental rearing style, and poor social skills. These factors lend themselves to modification, opening the door to prevention of emotional disorders. To date there has been surprisingly little focus on the prevention of emotional disorder through identification of early child inhibition. The current chapter briefly summarises the current literature. It then moves on to consider several relevant issues including the best target for intervention, the most relevant population, and novel intervention strategies. Finally, the chapter describes some attempts to apply prevention at a population level and discusses barriers and future directions.