Parent behaviors linked to kids' anxiety, depression

Posted on December 16, 2013

Young people whose parents tend to fight with each other or are over involved in their kids' lives are at increased risk of depression and anxiety, according to a new comprehensive review of past studies.

Kids tend to first experience depression or anxiety between ages 12 and 18, the authors write. They reviewed 181 papers published on potential links between how parents behave and which young people experience either disorder.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression affects between 5 percent and 10 percent of adolescents and anxiety, which may include panic disorders, affects about 25 percent of teens.

In the new analysis, stronger links were seen between parenting and depression, including sad moods and decreased interest in activities, as compared to anxiety.

Parents who were less warm, fought more, were over-involved or generally "aversive" had kids who more often experienced both depression and anxiety, according to the review in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

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Category(s):Child and/or Adolescent Issues, Child Development, Parenting

Source material from Reuters