Designing and testing a child anxiety model based on child and parent variables

Child anxiety, as one of the important factors that affect the development and performance of the person, is affected by many environmental and relational factors including personality traits, copying styles, anxiety sensitivity, child cognitive bias, parental anxiety beliefs and parent-child relationships. The main purpose of this study was to develop the structural modelling of child anxiety based on child and parent variables. The participants of this study were 279, 11-12 year students (129 male and 150 female) studding in Tabriz schools. They completed the Eysenck Personality (JEPQ), the Child Anxiety Sensitivity (CASI), the Cognitive Bias (CDS) and Child Anxiety Signs Questionnaires (MASQ). Parents completed the Mother-child Relationship (CPRS) and the Parental Anxiety Beliefs questionnaires (PABQ). The results of the data analysis revealed that due to cognitive bias, child personality characteristics, mother-child relationships and parental beliefs can significantly predict child anxiety signs. The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA = 0/05) and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI = 0/95) were optimal. This model determines that personality variables, anxiety sensitivity, cognitive bias of child and mother-child relationships and parental beliefs are important directions in child anxiety and these elements should be taken into consideration in dealing with the causes and treating child anxiety.