Family factors and the development of anxiety disorders

The chapter reviews aspects of family influences with potential importance for the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. A longitudinal design is an important method employed to investigate the relationship between inhibited temperament in childhood and solitude/socially reticent behavior or anxiety problems later in life. Attachment refers to the establishment of early intimate relationships with caregivers who serve an evolutionary function as a protective and secure base from which a child can explore the world. The research investigating the role of parental psychopathology in the development of childhood anxiety disorders emphasizes the importance of considering the cyclic relationship between maternal behavior and child contributions to the parent-child interaction. The chapter explains that maternal anxiety can be directly correlated with an anxiety disorder in the child. Similarly, patterns of over control, over protection, or critical negativity also create the same tendencies and problems in the offspring.