Parental Bonds in Children at High and Low Familial Risk for Panic Disorder

Abstract

A rejecting and overprotective parenting style is considered to be an important risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders. This study examined the role of perceived parental bonding as a potential environmental risk factor for panic disorder (PD) in unaffected offspring with parental PD. Children with a biological parent with PD (n = 71) and children of parents with no psychiatric history (n = 80) participated in the study. Results indicate that high risk children do not perceive their parents as being more protective and less caring than low risk controls. The optimal bonding type (high care, low protection) was the most frequently reported parenting style across groups. The constraining type of maternal bonding (high care, high protection) was less frequently reported by high risk children (p < 0.05). Overall, these data suggest that parental PD does not compromise the parent-child bonds in never-ill offspring.