title: Familial Accumulation of Social Anxiety Symptoms and Maladaptive Emotion Regulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social anxiety is thought to be strongly related to maladaptive emotion regulation (ER). As social anxiety symptoms accumulate in families, we hypothesize that maladaptive ER is also more prevalent in families with anxious children. Thus, we analyze differences in emotion regulation of both child and mother in relation to social anxiety, as well as both their ER strategies in dealing with anxiety. Further, a positive relation between child and maternal ER strategies is assumed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (aged 9 to 13 years) with social, anxiety disorder (SAD; n = 25) and healthy controls (HC, n = 26) as well as their mothers completed several measures of social anxiety and trait ER strategies towards anxiety. As ER of children is still in development, age is considered as covariate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SAD children and their mothers reported more maladaptive ER strategies than HC dyads. Maternal maladaptive ER was related negatively to child adaptive ER which was further moderated by the child's age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maladaptive ER strategies seem to contribute to the exacerbation of social anxiety in both mother and child. Mothers reporting maladaptive ER may have difficulties supporting their child in coping with social anxiety while simultaneously also experiencing heightened levels of anxiety. Deeper understanding of interactional processes between mothers and children during development can assist the comprehension of factors maintaining SAD. Implications for future research and possible consequences for interventions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Asbrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breuninger
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Brunna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuschen-Caffier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires