Does the Parent-Child Relationship Contribute to Children's and Parents' Anxiety?

This study explored which parent–child relationship factors are most important in predicting children’s and parents’ anxiety. The participants were 52 fathers, 52 mothers, 30 sons and 30 daughters. Parents completed a measure of anxiety and a measure of the parent–child relationship. Children completed two measures of anxiety. Mothers’ communication was found to be the only significant predictor of sons’ anxiety. Daughters’ anxiety was significantly predicted by fathers’ communication and mothers’ satisfaction with parenting. These findings signal the important role the opposite-sex parent has in children’s anxiety. Moreover, feeling supported as a parent and having the ability to communicate effectively with their children are important predictors of parents’ wellbeing.