Objectives: 1) To examine bidirectional relationship of maternal and child anxiety symptoms across three time points; 2) To explore moderating effects of the level of the child’s SOR (high vs. low) on the relationship between maternal and child anxiety.
Methods: Mothers (n = 167) of young children with ASD (n = 177; mean age = 28 months at baseline) that participated in a longitudinal study examining developmental trajectories of toddlers newly diagnosed with ASD and family adjustment and well-being, completed the Beck Anxiety Index (Beck et. al, 1988), the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA; Carter & Briggs-Gowan, 2003), and the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP; Dunn, 2002) at three different time points (baseline, 12-month follow-up, and 24-month follow-up). The ITSEA’s General Anxiety scale was used as a measure of child anxiety.
Results: A cross-lagged panel model was used to test the bidirectional relationship between maternal anxiety and anxiety in young children with autism. Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) was tested for its moderating effect of child and maternal anxiety. Model fit was good (RMSEA=0.042; SRMR= 0.037; CFI=0.966), with relationships between maternal and child anxiety being strongest in the SOR group (β = 0.25)
Conclusions: Results suggest that there is a bidirectional relationship between maternal and child anxiety, and that this relationship is moderated when the child with ASD has SOR. This study provides evidence for further exploration of interventions focusing on addressing maternal and child anxiety as a correlated construct.
See more of: Psychiatric/Behavioral Comorbidities
See more of: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Phenotype