Lebowitz Eli R, Leckman James F, Feldman Ruth, Zagoory-Sharon Orna, McDonald Nicole, Silverman Wendy K
Yale Child Study Center, United States.
Yale Child Study Center, United States.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016 Mar;65:35-43. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.12.007. Epub 2015 Dec 14.
Clinical anxiety disorders in youth are common and associated with interpersonal behaviors including reliance on parents for family accommodation, or changes that parents make to their own behaviors to help the youth avoid anxiety related distress. The neuropeptide oxytocin is associated with the regulation of anxiety and of close interpersonal behavior leading to the hypothesis that oxytocinergic functioning plays a role in youth anxiety and its disorders, and the resulting family accommodation. To test this hypothesis salivary OT from 50 youth with primary DSM-5 anxiety disorders was assayed. A multi-source/multi-method anxiety assessment including semistructured interviews with youth and mothers, rating scales, and behavioral observations was used to assess anxiety disorders and symptoms, and family accommodation. Youth with separation anxiety disorder had significantly lower salivary OT levels than clinically anxious youth not diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder. Salivary OT levels were significantly negatively correlated with separation anxiety symptoms based on both youth- and mother-ratings. Anxious behavior displayed by youth during interactions with their mothers was associated with lower salivary OT levels in youth. Maternal ratings of family accommodation were negatively associated with salivary OT levels in youth. Results support the role of the oxytocinergic system in youth anxiety and its disorders and in parental involvement in youth anxiety through family accommodation. OT may be particularly important for diagnoses and symptoms of separation anxiety, which is inherently interpersonal in nature. Findings have potentially important implications for assessment and treatment of anxiety in youth.
青少年临床焦虑症很常见，且与人际行为有关，包括在家庭居住方面依赖父母，或父母改变自身行为以帮助青少年避免与焦虑相关的痛苦。神经肽催产素与焦虑调节及亲密人际行为有关，由此产生了一种假说，即催产素功能在青少年焦虑及其障碍以及由此产生的家庭迁就行为中发挥作用。为了验证这一假说，对50名患有原发性DSM-5焦虑症的青少年的唾液催产素进行了检测。采用多源/多方法焦虑评估，包括对青少年和母亲的半结构化访谈、评定量表以及行为观察，以评估焦虑症及症状和家庭迁就行为。患有分离焦虑症的青少年的唾液催产素水平显著低于未被诊断为分离焦虑症的临床焦虑青少年。基于青少年和母亲的评定，唾液催产素水平与分离焦虑症状显著负相关。青少年在与母亲互动期间表现出的焦虑行为与青少年较低的唾液催产素水平有关。母亲对家庭迁就行为的评定与青少年的唾液催产素水平呈负相关。研究结果支持了催产素系统在青少年焦虑及其障碍以及父母通过家庭迁就行为参与青少年焦虑过程中的作用。催产素对于分离焦虑的诊断和症状可能尤为重要，因为分离焦虑本质上具有人际性。研究结果对青少年焦虑的评估和治疗具有潜在的重要意义。
