The role of prenatal maternal stress in the development of childhood anxiety symptomatology: The QF2011 Queensland Flood Study. (2nd August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McLean, Mia A.; Cobham, Vanessa E.; Simcock, Gabrielle; Elgbeili, Guillaume; Kildea, Sue; King, Suzanne
• Editors: Doyle, Colleen; Cicchetti, Dante
• Is Part Of: Development and psychopathology. Volume 30:Number 3(2018)
• Page Start: 995
• Page End: 1007
• Publication Date: 2018-08-02
• Subjects: Child psychopathology -- Periodicals; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 618.9289
• DOI: 10.1017/S0954579418000408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-5794

Abstract

Abstract: It is possible that findings suggesting a link between prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) and anxiety symptoms in offspring are confounded by postnatal and/or shared mother–child heritability effects. Following exposure to a natural disaster, the Queensland Flood Study investigated the unique and additive effects of various types of disaster-related PNMS (objective hardship, cognitive appraisal, and subjective distress) on childhood anxiety symptomatology (internalizing and/or anxiety symptom measures). Timing of flood exposure during pregnancy and child sex were examined as potential moderators. After controlling for maternal psychosocial factors, greater objective hardship as a result of the floods was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms ( N = 114) and marginally associated with greater internalizing behaviors ( N = 115). Earlier timing of the flood in pregnancy was associated with greater anxiety symptoms. No such associations were found between any PNMS measure and teacher-rated child internalizing behaviors ( N = 90). Sex and timing did not moderate associations. Our findings suggest that, in isolation, increased maternal hardship due to exposure to an independent stressor, during pregnancy, may have a programming effect on childhood anxiety symptoms.