Familial Mechanisms of Anxiety in Latino Children

Tulane University Of Louisiana, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders affecting children and adolescents, and are associated with negative outcomes in a variety of psychosocial domains (Ollendick & King, 1994; Weiss & Last, 2001). Although many advances have been made in identifying the mechanisms of anxiety development and maintenance in childhood, the majority of findings have been based on predominantly White, non-Latino samples (Safren et al., 2000). Wide gaps remain in our understanding of pathways to anxiety in Latino youth. This is a serious problem given that Latino youth are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, are at risk for developing anxiety, and are underserved with respect to treatment for anxiety (Anderson & Mayes, 2010; Hough et al., 2002; Varela & Hensley-Maloney, 2009). Lack of cultural validity of interventions is a barrier to treatment-seeking behavior among Latino families and compromises the efficacy of interventions provided (Snowden & Yamada, 2005). Therefore, studies that can inform the development of psychosocial interventions for anxiety disorders in Latino children, for example, by identifying relevant cultural and contextual risk factors, are urgently needed. To address this gap in the literature, the proposed study targets one familial risk factor in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders (i.e., parental control) in the context of a Latino cultural framework. The specific aim of the proposed study is to examine whether parental control confers risk for developing anxiety disorders in Latino children through the same mechanism as it does for European American children (i.e., through a diminished perception of control), and whether this cognitive diathesis is dependent on children's cultural values regarding parental authority and on parent-child acculturative values gaps (i.e., diverging perceptions of normative parenting practices between children and their parents).These questions will be examined among a sample of 106 Latino children aged 7-13 who are either clinically anxious or are free of any psychiatric diagnosis. Families will be administered a combination of well-established and innovative measures in a laboratory setting. Measures will include culturally-valid diagnostic interviews, ecologically-valid vignettes, and self-report measures. By examining mechanisms of clinical anxiety in a culturally-informed context, the proposed research has the potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of anxiety in Latino children. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders affecting children and adolescents, generally following an intractable course and leading to wide-ranging impairment in functioning if left untreated. Latino youth are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population and are at risk for developing anxiety relative to youth of other ethnicities; however, a growing body of research suggests that current models of anxiety etiology and maintenance may lack validity within this population. By examining familial mechanisms of anxiety in Latino children, findings from this study may contribute to the development of culturally-valid interventions.