The role of the mother–child relationship for anxiety disorders and depression: results from a prospective-longitudinal study in adolescents and their mothers

Abstract

This study aims to examine whether (a) low child valence (emotional connectedness) within the mother-child relationship increases the risk for offspring depression, (b) low child potency (individual autonomy) increases the risk for offspring anxiety, and (c) maternal psychopathology pronounces these associations. We used data from a prospective-longitudinal study of adolescents (aged 14-17 at baseline) and their mothers (N = 1,015 mother-child dyads). Anxiety disorders and depression were assessed repeatedly over 10 years in adolescents (T0, T1, T2, T3) and their mothers (T1, T3) using the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. Valence and potency were assessed in mothers (T1) with the Subjective Family Image Questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) from logistic regression were used to estimate associations between low child valence/potency and offspring psychopathology (cumulated lifetime incidences; adjusted for sex and age). In separate models (low valence or low potency as predictor), low child valence predicted offspring depression only (OR = 1.26 per SD), while low child potency predicted offspring anxiety (OR = 1.24) and depression (OR = 1.24). In multiple models (low valence and low potency as predictors), low child valence predicted offspring depression only (OR = 1.19), while low child potency predicted offspring anxiety only (OR = 1.22). Low child potency interacted with maternal anxiety on predicting offspring depression (OR = 1.49), i.e. low child potency predicted offspring depression only in the presence of maternal anxiety (OR = 1.33). These findings suggest that low child valence increases the risk for offspring depression, while low child potency increases the risk for offspring anxiety and depression and interacts with maternal psychopathology on predicting offspring depression.

Impact of Parental Acceptance-Rejection on Anxiety among Metropolitan Adolescents

“…The same has been witnessed in a sample of students aged 11to16 going to urban schools in Bangalore [15]. Asselmann and others [16] found that anxious adolescents reported low maternal autonomy support during childhood. Cooper-Vince, Pincus and Comer [17] found that intrusiveness, over involvement and high demandingness from parents were correlated with lack of confidence and lack of coping mechanisms which contributed to anxiety.…”

“…Kaushik and Rani [30] have stated that perfectionist attitude of mothers is positively related with anxiety among adolescents. Asselmann and others [16] found that anxious adolescents reported low maternal autonomy support during adolescence. Even though, not much research has focused on direct role of maternal aggression on anxiety among adolescents, but from these studies it can be stated that if mothers are rejecting or aggressive then adolescents are anxious as they spend much of their time with mother at home, thus, aggression from mothers makes them fearful which leads to anxiety.…”

Addressing the mother–baby relationship in interpersonal psychotherapy for depression: an overview and case study

“…al., 2015). A combination of antenatal and postnatal maternal 4 depression demonstrates long-term effects on the cognitive development and depressive illness risk of children (Asselmann, Wittchen, Lieb, & Beesdo-Baum, 2015;Sanger, Andrew, & Ramchandani, 2015).…”

“…al., 2015). A combination of antenatal and postnatal maternal 4 depression demonstrates long-term effects on the cognitive development and depressive illness risk of children (Asselmann, Wittchen, Lieb, & Beesdo-Baum, 2015;Sanger, Andrew, & Ramchandani, 2015).One of the mechanism of transmission of risk for mental health disorders is thought to be associated with the mother's attachment security and her behaviour with the child, and there is growing evidence to suggest maternal attachment style can be seen as a mediator (Toth, Cicchetti, Rogosch, & Sturge-Apple, 2009). However, women with a pre-existing negative model of the self and others have been shown to be at higher risk of developing PND (Wilkinson & Mulcahy, 2010).…”

Associations among Adolescents’ Relationships with Parents, Peers, and Teachers, Self-Efficacy, and Willingness to Intervene in Bullying: A Social Cognitive Approach

“…Further, SCT asserts that individuals' self-efficacy beliefs are influenced by the vicarious experience of socialization agents and that self-efficacy further contributes to an individual's motivation to take action [15]. Given the key role of social relationships and socialization agents according to SCT, it is not surprising that adolescents with positive social relationships with parents, peers, and teachers benefit from these experiences and, therefore, are more likely to display better social, emotional and behavioral outcomes [17][18][19][20][21]. In the present study, we investigate if and how social relationships with key socialization agents (measured as relationships with parents, bullying victimization via peers, and relationships with teachers) are directly associated with adolescents' willingness to intervene in bullying, as well as indirectly through self-efficacy in social conflicts.…”