Mothers' and fathers' internalizing symptoms influence parental ratings of adolescent anxiety symptoms. 2017

Krister W Fjermestad, and Wendy Nilsen, and Tina D Johannessen, and Evalill B Karevold
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo.

Clinical assessment of anxiety in adolescents often involves multiple informants, and parental internalizing symptoms have been found to influence parent ratings of adolescents' anxiety symptoms. We investigated how parental internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression) were related to adolescent and parent reports of adolescents' anxiety symptoms in a population-based cross-sectional survey. The sample comprised 337 adolescent-mother-father triads (N = 1,011) drawn from the Tracking Opportunities and Problems in Childhood and Adolescence (TOPP) study. Adolescents (43.9% boys) were 14- and 15-years old. Adolescent and parent ratings of adolescent anxiety symptoms (The Coolidge Personality and Neuropsychological Inventory for Children) were moderately and significantly correlated (mother-adolescent r = .30; father-adolescent r = .25). Parents also self-rated internalizing symptoms (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25). Regression models showed higher maternal and paternal depression symptoms, but not anxiety symptoms, were associated with higher parent-rated adolescent anxiety symptoms. Higher maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as paternal depression symptoms, but not paternal anxiety symptoms, were associated with lower parent-adolescent agreement on adolescent anxiety symptoms (i.e., parent-rating higher relative to adolescent-rating). When adolescents rate considerably lower anxiety compared with how their parents rate them, considering parental depression as a possible reason may be key to understanding adolescents' treatment needs. (PsycINFO Database Record

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009035 Mothers Female parents, human or animal. Mothers' Clubs,Club, Mothers',Clubs, Mothers',Mother,Mother Clubs,Mother's Clubs,Mothers Clubs,Mothers' Club
D003863 Depression Depressive states usually of moderate intensity in contrast with MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER present in neurotic and psychotic disorders. Depressive Symptoms,Emotional Depression,Depression, Emotional,Depressive Symptom,Symptom, Depressive
D005220 Fathers Male parents, human or animal. Father
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000294 Adolescent Behavior Any observable response or action of an adolescent. Behavior, Adolescent,Adolescent Behaviors,Behaviors, Adolescent
D001007 Anxiety Feelings or emotions of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster but not disabling as with ANXIETY DISORDERS. Angst,Anxiousness,Hypervigilance,Nervousness,Social Anxiety,Anxieties, Social,Anxiety, Social,Social Anxieties

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