The mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relationship between early and late adolescent levels of anxiety: Specificity and informant effects.

INTRODUCTION

The role of parenting behavior is often highlighted in the development of anxiety in youth. However, previous reports are limited in terms of the specificity of relationships between different types of anxiety and parenting behaviors, informant effects on these relationships, and direction of effects.

METHODS

This study investigates these questions using longitudinal data from 1350 Swedish adolescents and their parents. Adolescents' self-reports of six dimensions of anxiety and adolescents' and parents' reports of six dimensions of parenting behaviors were used in the analyses. Parallel multiple mediation models were employed to analyze specificity and informant effects within a reciprocal effects model.

RESULTS

Overall, and irrespective of informant, this study found little support for a mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relationship between early and late adolescent levels of anxiety. Evidence for specificity within the parenting-anxiety relationship was scarce with specific mediating effects observed only for panic/agoraphobia and total anxiety through the parenting dimension of rejection.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study concern the un-conditional mediating role of parenting. Parenting behaviors may be more influential among some adolescents, depending on individual differences in other factors related to the development and course of adolescent anxiety. Thus, further research on moderating factors of the influence of parenting on adolescent anxiety is warranted.