Exploring the relationships between maternal and child metacognitions and child anxiety.
Research has shown that anxiety may be transmitted through verbal information pathways, for example, when parents share their anxious cognitions with their child. Less is known about the influence of parental metacognitions, that is, beliefs regarding thoughts, on child anxiety. We explored the relations between metacognitions in mothers and their children and anxiety in the children. Our study included 111 non-clinical children aged 8 to 12 years and their mothers. Children rated their metacognitions, worry and anxiety, and mothers rated their metacognitions. Results indicated agreement between maternal and child metacognitions. Maternal metacognitions were positively associated with children's anxiety symptoms and worry, and this relation was mediated by the children's metacognitions. Our results warrant further examination of the role of parental metacognitions in child anxiety.
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Barbara Hoff
BH
Esbjørn
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nicoline
N
Normann
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nicole Nadine
NN
Lønfeldt
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Marie
M
Tolstrup
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Marie Louise
ML
Reinholdt-Dunne
D001007:Anxiety; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*
Metacognitions; child anxiety; community sample; risk factor; transmission