There’s latest evidence that children who display anxious behavior might need learned it from their parents.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the brand new study checked out how parents passed their anxiety to their kids. The study involved 398 kids from 221 moms and 237 fathers.

The researchers discovered that while children can learn their anxious behavior from their parents, the possibilities of it happening is more likely if the same-sex parent displayed anxiety in front of them. Which means that daughters learn from mothers, and sons learn from fathers.

“Children could also be more more likely to learn anxious behavior whether it is being displayed by their same-sex parent (i.e., sons learning their fathers’ behavior and daughters learning their moms’ behavior),” said study co-author Barbara Pavlova, a clinical psychologist within the mood disorders program at Nova Scotia Health Authority in Halifax, Canada.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that it’s irreversible and even inevitable.

“The outcomes suggest that children learn anxious behavior from their parents, and which means that transmission of tension from parents to children could also be preventable,” added Pavlova.

Moreover, sharing the home with a same-sex parent not displaying any anxious behavior appears to guard children from eventually developing anxiety. Per the researchers, children are 38% less more likely to develop an anxiety disorder.

Pavlova said that this might be on account of the role that environmental aspects plays on the subject of the transmission of tension. Most probably, it’s because children share roughly the identical amount of genetic material with their moms and dads.

Often related to depression, substance abuse, and academic underachievement, anxiety disorders are common, as noted by the study authors.

Fortunately, such disorders are treatable.

“Parents should seek help with their very own anxiety not only for their very own health, but additionally for the health of their children,” said Pavlova, adding that lightly encouraging them to face situations that could be anxiety-provoking could be very helpful. 

The study findings can assist parents recuperate insights into their very own behavior and the way that translates with their family within the household.