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Open Access 01-05-2018 | Original Contribution

What are the odds of anxiety disorders running in families? A family study of anxiety disorders in mothers, fathers, and siblings of children with anxiety disorders

Authors: Liesbeth G. E. Telman, Francisca J. A. van Steensel, Marija Maric, Susan M. Bögels

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 5/2018

Abstract

This family study investigated (1) the prevalence of anxiety disorders (ADs) in parents and siblings of children (n = 144) aged 8–18 years with ADs compared to control children (n = 49), and (2) the specificity of relationships between child–mother, child–father, and child–sibling ADs. Clinical interviews were used to assess current DSM-IV-TR ADs in children and siblings, and lifetime and current ADs in parents. Results showed that children with ADs were two to three times more likely to have at least one parent with current and lifetime ADs than the control children (odds ratio (OR) = 2.04 and 3.14). Children with ADs were more likely to have mothers with current ADs (OR = 2.51), fathers with lifetime ADs (OR = 2.84), but not siblings with ADs (OR = 0.75). Specific relationships between mother–child ADs were found for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD, OR = 3.69) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (OR = 3.47). Interestingly, all fathers and siblings with SAD came from families of children with SAD. Fathers of children with SAD were more likely to have lifetime ADs themselves (OR = 2.86). Findings indicate that children with ADs more often have parents with ADs, and specifically SAD is more prevalent in families of children with SAD. Influence of parent’s (social) ADs should be considered when treating children with ADs.

Additionally, the same analyses were performed with the 41 children of the control group without ADs. When leaving the children with ADs out of the control group, results did not change for having at least one parent with lifetime AD(s): (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.03–4.62, p = 0.022), having at least one parent with current AD(s) (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.25–8.55, p = 0.008), mothers’ lifetime AD(s) (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.64–3.07, p = 0.200), mothers’ current AD(s) (OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.00–8.05, p = 0.025), fathers’ current ADs (OR 3.17, 95% CI 0.39–25.91, p = 0.141), and siblings’ AD(s) (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.27–1.99, p = 0.274). The only change observed was for fathers’ lifetime AD(s), which became a trend to significance (OR 2.37, 95% CI 0.76–7.41, p = 0.070). When leaving the children with ADs out of the control group, results did not change for mothers’ lifetime depressive disorder (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.47–2.74, p = 0.393), fathers’ lifetime depressive disorder (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.32–3.01, p = 0.491), mothers’ current depressive disorder (OR 4.17, 95% CI 0.51–34.03, p = 0.092), and fathers’ current depressive disorder (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03–1.59, p = 0.064).

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Title: What are the odds of anxiety disorders running in families? A family study of anxiety disorders in mothers, fathers, and siblings of children with anxiety disorders
Authors: Liesbeth G. E. Telman
Francisca J. A. van Steensel
Marija Maric
Susan M. Bögels
Publication date: 01-05-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 5/2018
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1076-x

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What are the odds of anxiety disorders running in families? A family study of anxiety disorders in mothers, fathers, and siblings of children with anxiety disorders

Abstract

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