The transmission of anxiety and stress states from parent to infant

: mechanisms of emotion dysregulation in dyads at elevated likelihood of mental health conditions

Abstract

Clinically elevated levels of anxiety represent the most prevalent child mental health condition in the world. Available evidence suggests a key role of environmental influences in the development of anxiety, with recent research suggesting that early childhood is a crucial period for identifying environmental risk factors. As yet, though, our understanding of the early life causative factors that contribute to the development of anxiety conditions are limited.

One area that may elucidate the intergenerational transmission of anxiety is that of parent-infant dynamics, as these early relational patterns are thought to play an influential role in later socioemotional development. Investigations into these dynamics have typically been focused on observable behaviour in short segments of lab-based interaction, despite the need for ecologically valid and multi-method approaches in investigating anxiety precursors.

Using a mixture of naturalistic biobehavioural recording techniques, longitudinal modelling and time series analyses, the present thesis examines the mechanisms of emotion dysregulation in dyads at elevated likelihood of anxiety conditions and other psychiatric disorders.

Evidence is presented showing biobehavioural atypicality in parent-infant dynamics in the context of elevated parental anxiety. Evidence also shows that the development of anxiety-related distress in early childhood is shaped by parental behaviour and infant temperament dimensions.

Discussion is focused on the contribution of the findings to developmental theories of atypical emotion regulation. Past, present and future directions for intervention studies focused on parental anxiety and infant socio-emotional development are also considered.

Key words: anxiety, stress, parent-infant relationship, early development, psychophysiology, emotion dysregulation, quantitative naturalistic research methods, interventions

Date of Award	1 Mar 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	King's College London
Supervisor	Tony Charman (Supervisor) & Katharine Rimes (Supervisor)