An Anxious Mom can have an Adverse Effect on the Child

In a recent development researchers discovered that a child as young as 18 months of age is at the risk of developing emotional and disruptive problems if his or her mother suffers from anxiety and depression symptoms.

This risk according to the study in fact persisted into adolescence and also gave increased risk of depressive symptoms. The study that was conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health had used Norwegian mothers’ self reports of mental health and their children’s changes in behaviour which were both disruptive and emotional at five different ages from early childhood to early adolescence.

It was found that when the mothers reported high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms early in the children’s lives, the children had a higher risk of emotional and disruptive behaviours during their childhood. Also, the children had higher risk of reporting depressive symptoms during their adolescence.

When the children were 18 months of age there seemed to be an association between maternal and later problemtatic behaviours in the child.

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