School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
Br J Clin Psychol. 2020 Mar;59(1):80-95. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12233. Epub 2019 Aug 7.
Anxiety runs in families, and its transmission is largely environmental. However, studies rarely explore this process in clinically anxious parents or ask participants to face a genuine fear. We also do not know whether this process is modifiable. This study will explore these questions using a sample of clinically anxious parents.
Experimental design comparing clinically anxious parents with non-anxious parents, and exploring the effects of a tutorial intervention versus a control group.
Parents with and without anxiety disorders and their children (5-9 years) participated (N = 72). Children chose two fearful animal stimuli. Parents helped the child approach the first in graded steps. The following parental behaviours were recorded: positive/negative verbal information; positive/negative modelling; encouragement/praising of approach/avoidance behaviours. Half the parents were then randomly assigned to a short video tutorial advising how to help children cope with fearful situations. The remainder watched a control video. The approach task was repeated with the second stimulus.
Parenting behaviours fell into two categories: 'approach parenting' (encouraging/praising/modelling approach; positive verbal information) and 'avoidance parenting' (encouraging/praising/modelling avoidance; negative verbal information). The parenting tutorial increased 'approach parenting' and decreased 'avoidance parenting' and was associated with increased child approach towards fearful stimuli. This was not moderated by parent or child anxiety.
Parenting, particularly 'avoidance parenting', is associated with children's approach and avoidance. A short video tutorial modified these parenting behaviours and reduced avoidance. These effects were apparent regardless of parent or child anxiety level.
Avoidance and approach parenting may influence children's response to fearful stimuli. Avoidance parenting may be more problematic than lack of approach parenting. Approach and avoidance parenting are amenable to manipulation by short video tutorial. Parenting improvement resulted in increased approach behaviour in children.
焦虑具有家族遗传性，其主要通过环境进行传递。然而，研究很少探索临床焦虑父母的这一过程，也很少让参与者直面真正的恐惧。我们也不知道这一过程是否可改变。本研究将利用临床焦虑父母的样本探索这些问题。
将临床焦虑父母与非焦虑父母进行对比的实验设计，并探索教程干预与对照组的效果。
有或无焦虑障碍的父母及其子女（5-9 岁）参与了研究（N=72）。儿童选择了两种可怕的动物刺激。父母帮助孩子逐步接近第一种刺激。记录了以下父母行为：积极/消极言语信息；积极/消极榜样；鼓励/赞扬接近/回避行为。然后，将一半父母随机分配到一个简短的视频教程，学习如何帮助孩子应对恐惧情况。其余父母观看控制视频。然后，用第二种刺激重复接近任务。
父母的养育行为分为两类：“促进接近的养育”（鼓励/赞扬/模仿接近；积极的言语信息）和“回避养育”（鼓励/赞扬/模仿回避；消极的言语信息）。育儿教程增加了“促进接近的养育”，减少了“回避养育”，并与儿童对恐惧刺激的接近程度增加有关。这不受父母或孩子焦虑程度的影响。
育儿行为，特别是“回避养育”，与孩子的接近和回避有关。简短的视频教程改变了这些养育行为，减少了回避。无论父母或孩子的焦虑水平如何，这些效果都很明显。
回避和接近养育可能会影响孩子对恐惧刺激的反应。回避养育可能比缺乏接近养育更成问题。回避和接近养育可以通过简短的视频教程进行操作。育儿行为的改善导致孩子的接近行为增加。
