The Role of Parenting in Childhood Anxiety: Etiological Factors and Treatment Implications

Theoretical models of anxiety disorders suggest that family processes and parenting are important factors in the development, maintenance, and transmission of childhood anxiety. The direction of effects between parenting and childhood anxiety, however, remains unclear. This review article integrates theoretical, empirical, and applied knowledge regarding the association between parenting and childhood anxiety as a means to better understand the implications of involving parents in the treatment of their children's anxiety. The present article expands Rapee and colleagues' (2009) review on the main etiological factors related to childhood anxiety and parenting, drawing attention to the influence of parental behavior on treatment effectiveness for childhood anxiety. Limitations of empirical findings and future directions are discussed.