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Gepubliceerd in: Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review 1/2016

27-11-2015

Parents’ Verbal Communication and Childhood Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Auteurs: Ray Percy, Cathy Creswell, Matt Garner, Doireann O’Brien, Lynne Murray

Gepubliceerd in: Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review | Uitgave 1/2016

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Abstract

Parents’ verbal communication to their child, particularly the expression of fear-relevant information (e.g., attributions of threat to the environment), is considered to play a key role in children’s fears and anxiety. This review considers the extent to which parental verbal communication is associated with child anxiety by examining research that has employed objective observational methods. Using a systematic search strategy, we identified 15 studies that addressed this question. These studies provided some evidence that particular fear-relevant features of parental verbal communication are associated with child anxiety under certain conditions. However, the scope for drawing reliable, general conclusions was limited by extensive methodological variation between studies, particularly in terms of the features of parental verbal communication examined and the context in which communication took place, how child anxiety was measured, and inconsistent consideration of factors that may moderate the verbal communication–child anxiety relationship. We discuss ways in which future research can contribute to this developing evidence base and reduce further methodological inconsistency so as to inform interventions for children with anxiety problems.
Voetnoten
1
Search terms related to cognitive development were included on the basis that there is a well-established body of literature regarding associations between parental verbal communication and normal child development, and it was considered studies in this area may have used measures relevant to child anxiety.
 
2
Effect size corresponds to the effect labeled with superscript letter ‘i’ in Table 4. Insufficient data were reported to calculate the size of the effect labeled with superscript letter ‘j’ in Table 4.
 
3
The lower effect size corresponds to the outcome of an analysis that compared parents of anxious and non-clinical control children; the higher effect size corresponds to the outcome of an analysis that compared parents of anxious and aggressive children.
 
4
Effects size corresponds to the outcome of an analysis that compared parents of anxious and non-clinical control children; the outcome of an analysis that compared parents of anxious and aggressive children was not significant.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
Parents’ Verbal Communication and Childhood Anxiety: A Systematic Review
Auteurs
Ray Percy
Cathy Creswell
Matt Garner
Doireann O’Brien
Lynne Murray
Publicatiedatum
27-11-2015
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review / Uitgave 1/2016
Print ISSN: 1096-4037
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2827
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-015-0198-2