This family study investigated (1) the prevalence of anxiety disorders (ADs) in parents and siblings of children (n = 144) aged 8–18 years with ADs compared to control children (n = 49), and (2) the specificity of relationships between child–mother, child–father, and child–sibling ADs. Clinical interviews were used to assess current DSM-IV-TR ADs in children and siblings, and lifetime and current ADs in parents. Results showed that children with ADs were two to three times more likely to have at least one parent with current and lifetime ADs than the control children (odds ratio (OR) = 2.04 and 3.14). Children with ADs were more likely to have mothers with current ADs (OR = 2.51), fathers with lifetime ADs (OR = 2.84), but not siblings with ADs (OR = 0.75). Specific relationships between mother–child ADs were found for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD, OR = 3.69) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (OR = 3.47). Interestingly, all fathers and siblings with SAD came from families of children with SAD. Fathers of children with SAD were more likely to have lifetime ADs themselves (OR = 2.86). Findings indicate that children with ADs more often have parents with ADs, and specifically SAD is more prevalent in families of children with SAD. Influence of parent’s (social) ADs should be considered when treating children with ADs.

We compared clinically referred children with anxiety disorders (AD; n = 63) to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 39), ADHD Combined (ADHD-C; n = 62), ADHD Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I; n = 64), and typically developing children (n = 42) on child quality of life (QOL), paternal and maternal psychopathology and parental stress. Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. Multilevel analyses showed that QOL in AD was higher on school and social functioning, compared to respectively ADHD and ASD, and lower compared to normal controls on all five domains. Fathers reported their AD children higher QOL than mothers. Also, AD appeared to be associated with less parental stress and parental psychopathology than other child psychopathology. Therefore, parental factors may need to be considered more in treatment of children with ADHD/ASD than AD.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most efficacious treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. At the same time, several studies showed that for children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder (SAD), standard protocolized CBT seems to be less efficacious than for youth with other types of anxiety disorders, suggesting that children with SAD need a different approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a modularized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with SAD, including mindfulness. Ten children and adolescents (50% girls, aged 8-17 years) referred for SAD were measured at pretreatment, posttreatment and 10 weeks follow-up. Results showed that 5 youths (50%) were free of their SAD posttreatment, and 8 (80%) at follow-up. Clinically meaningful improvements from pretest to follow-up were found in 90% and 60% of the cases, for the total anxiety symptom score and social anxiety symptom score, respectively. Pre-post-follow-up group analyses revealed significant improvements in SAD severity (combined parent and child report) and social anxiety symptoms across child, mother, and father report. The remission rate of 80% and substantial social anxiety symptom decline is promising, providing a starting point for improving treatments of youth with SAD.

This study examined clinical outcomes of a modular individual CBT for children with anxiety disorders (AD), and predictors of outcomes, in usual clinical practice. Participants were 106 children with ADs (7–17 years), and parents. Assessments were pre-, mid-, post-test, and 10 weeks after CBT (follow-up). Predictors (measured pre-treatment) were child characteristics (gender, age, type of AD, comorbid disorders), fathers’ and mothers’ anxious/depressive symptoms, and parental involvement (based on parents’ presence during treatment sessions and the use of a parent module in treatment). At follow-up, 59% (intent-to-treat analyses) to 70% (completer analysis) of the children were free from their primary anxiety disorder. A significant decrease in anxiety symptoms was found. Higher parental involvement was related to lower child anxiety at follow-up, but only for children with comorbid disorders. Findings suggest that it is beneficial to treat anxiety with modular CBT. Future steps involve comparisons of modularized CBT with control conditions.

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