Parents face a balancing act: preparing children for new experiences and people without instilling undue fear. Anxiety disorders are common in youth, influenced by genetic and environmental factors. To understand how parental anxiety impacts children, researchers, led by Evin Aktar, reviewed 18 studies. These studies explored how parental verbal fear or anxiety about unfamiliar situations affects children’s physiological reactions, behaviors (like avoidance), and cognitive responses. The findings underscore the importance of understanding these mechanisms to develop strategies that promote resilience and reduce fear transmission from parents to children.
The Power of Parental ‘Fear Talk’: Researchers Explore Impact of Parental Anxiety on Children
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