The question of the process of intergenerational transmission of anxiety has received increasing research attention in recent years. The aim of this chapter is to review the evidence that relates to one aspect of this process, namely, the intergenerational transmission of an anxious information processing style, and to consider the mechanisms by which this may occur. Research in this field is at an early stage and conclusions remain speculative; however, there is a sufficient empirical basis to outline a tentative cognitive-behavioural model of the intergenerational transmission of anxious information processing biases, which we hope will guide research in this area and ultimately inform developments in clinical practice.

Parenting and child anxiety. In: Silverman, W. K. and Field, A. P. (eds.) Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. 2nd edition. Cambridge child and adolescent psychiatry.

Parents with Anxiety Disorders 'Anxiety Disorders' (ADs) are a broad category of psychiatric disorders characterized by excessive fear, worry or anxiety which cause significant distress or impairment in everyday life. They are among the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting over a quarter of people during their lifetime (Ronald C. Kessler et al., 2005). This chapter reviews the evidence concerning the psychological mechanisms by which ADs affect parenting and adjustment in children and young people, in order to guide further research in this area and inform clinical practice. Most research in this field has focused on the impact of maternal ADs on parenting and children's development, largely because women are at higher risk of ADs than men (e.g. Ronald C. Kessler et al., 2005) and tend to be the primary caretakers of children in Western cultures. Nevertheless, recent studies including fathers with ADs have found similar associations between parenting and child adjustment to those found with mothers with ADs (Aktar, Majdandžić, de Vente, & Bögels, 2013, 2014). Thus, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, it would be prudent to assume that studies of 'mothers' may well provide evidence relating to 'parents'. However, we also consider potential gender-specific associations with parenting and child adjustment when appropriate.

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