Attachment, Behavioral Inhibition, and Anxiety in Preschool Children

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 131 - 143
• Main Authors: Shamir-Essakow, Galia, Ungerer, Judy A, Rapee, Ronald M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer-Verlag New York, LLC 01.04.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - psychology; Attachment Behavior; Behavior; Child Behavior - psychology; Child psychology; Child, Preschool; Children; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Female; Humans; Inhibition; Inhibition (Psychology); Male; Maternal Age; Maternal attachment; Middle Aged; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Object Attachment; Preschool Children; Prevalence; Risk factors; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 2730-7166; 1573-2835; 2730-7174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10802-005-1822-2

This study examined the association between insecure attachment, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety in an at risk sample of preschool children. The relationship between maternal anxiety and child anxiety was also assessed. Participants were 104 children aged 3-4 years who were assessed for behavioral inhibition and mother-child attachment (using the Strange Situation procedure). DSM-IV criteria were used to assess childhood anxiety disorders. Insecure attachment and behavioral inhibition were both independently associated with child anxiety, even after controlling for the effect of maternal anxiety. Maternal anxiety was also associated with child anxiety. This study identified both constitutional and environmental factors associated with the expression of anxiety in young children. Furthermore, the highest levels of anxiety were shown by children who were behaviorally inhibited and insecurely attached and whose mothers were also anxious.KEY WORDS: mother-child attachment; behavioral inhibition; childhood anxiety.