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An Ecological Risk Model for Early Childhood Anxiety: The Importance of Early Child Symptoms and Temperament

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Abstract

Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool (age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported anxiety outcomes and mediated the effects of maternal and family risk factors. Implications for early intervention and prevention studies are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Language problems were included due to the overlap between language and behavior problems as risk factors for later social/emotional and behavioral problems.

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Acknowledgements

Support for this research came from a grant to the fourth author from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH55278). We also wish to thank Kimberly J. McCarthy and all of the children and families who participated in the Connecticut Early Development Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, 617-794-9515, USA

    Nicholas D. Mian, Laurel Wainwright & Alice S. Carter

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA

    Margaret J. Briggs-Gowan

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  1. Nicholas D. Mian
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  2. Laurel Wainwright
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  3. Margaret J. Briggs-Gowan
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  4. Alice S. Carter
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Correspondence to Nicholas D. Mian.

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Mian, N.D., Wainwright, L., Briggs-Gowan, M.J. et al. An Ecological Risk Model for Early Childhood Anxiety: The Importance of Early Child Symptoms and Temperament. J Abnorm Child Psychol 39, 501–512 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9476-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9476-0

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