Poster #52 - Assessing the Relationship between Parenting and Executive Functioning in Pediatric Anxiety

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Though some degree of anxiety is normative, pathological anxiety demonstrates significant prevalence amongst youths and is linked to distress and impairment (Merikangas et al., 2010; Swan & Kendall, 2016). Establishing a broader understanding of anxiety etiology – both normative and pathological - may aid in alleviating impairment and improve interventions. To this end, one can consider expanding upon previous developmental models of anxiety. For example, though previous social-cognitive models of anxiety provide several etiological factors of consideration (e.g. parenting behaviors), they are limited in the breadth of cognitive etiological factors considered. One potentially overlooked cognitive factor in these models is child executive functioning. Given relationships between executive functioning and parenting behaviors (early parenting predicts child executive functioning; Bernier et al., 2010; Lucassen et al., 2015), as well as executive functioning and anxiety (children with high anxiety indicate executive functioning deficits; Murphy et al.,2017; Rodrigues et al., 2017), executive functioning may be an important factor to further consider. Thus, in attempt to further inform anxiety conceptualization, this study seeks to expand on previous models of anxiety and examine one potential overlooked pathway of anxiety development through which child executive functioning mediates the relationship between parenting behaviors and pediatric anxiety. This pathway is assessed through examination of the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between executive functioning (planning), parenting behaviors (maternal sensitivity) and anxiety symptoms across middle childhood (6-12 years old).

This study used secondary data analysis of the multi-wave National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care data set. A sample of 1,107 child-mother dyads completed several assessment batteries. Maternal sensitvity was assessed as a latent construct using a mother-child interaction task measuring autonomy, supportive presence and hostility. Child planning was assessed using the Tower of Hanoi. Child anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist. All measures were completed when the child was in the 1st, 3rd and 5th grade.

Preliminary confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the latent maternal sensitvity measure maintained partial weak invariance. Subsequent path analysis models indicated good overall model fit, χ2 (df =89)=315.87, p=.000, RMSEA=.048, 90% CI [.042, .054], CFI=.961. Maternal sensitivity in 1st and 3rd grade predicted child planning in 3rd (β=.095, p=.008) and 5th grade respectively( β=.176, p=.000). Similarly, child planning in 1st grade predicted child anxiety in the 3rd grade (β=-.070, p =.015). However, child planning in the 3rd grade predicting child anxiety in the 5th grade only demonstrated marginal significance (β=-.045, p=.066). Mediation (β=-.004, p=.136) and reciprocal paths were not significant.

Findings suggest several implications. First, preliminary analyses suggest limited construct validity of the maternal sensitivity construct and highlight the need for additional factorial invariance research assessing maternal sensitivity. Second, evidence suggests that parenting behaviors continue to impact executive functioning development in middle childhood, thus warranting continuous attention during this time period. Third, though findings did not support the overall proposed pathway of anxiety development, non-significance of parameters is not a definitive conclusion that hypothesized relationships do not exist. Thus, replication research addressing methodological limitations of this study is warranted.

Author

• Yolanda E Murphy, Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author