anxiety and ocd

Question 1

contributing factors-

Answer 1

As with PND, a combination of psychosocial factors(Jones et
al., 2025 (anxiety); Hudepohl et al., 2022 (OCD)):
*Pre-natal and pregnancy anxietyand OCD (and depression)
*Perfectionism/ obsessive beliefs
*Lackofsocialsupport
*Marital/partner satisfaction
*Stressful lifeevents
*Abuse or victimisation
*Demands of parenting (notably sleepand OCD)
*Other stressors related to parenting (e.g. problematic
labour, financial concerns)

May be related to serotonin, oestrogen and progesterone
during late pregnancy.
*Oxytocin rises significantly during pregnancy and
postpartum- linked to the development (and exacerbation)
of postpartum OCD.
*Oxytocin’sroleinmaternal-infant bonding and the
potential for an exaggerated protective response, leading
to obsessions and compulsions

Question 2

impact on children

Answer 2

*Maternal anxiety(not paternal) predicts child anxiety
(McClure et al., 2001).
*Mothers are less sensitive during play and show reduced
emotional tone(Nicol-Harper et al., 2007).
* Increased catastrophising, may lead to increased child
anxiety (Whaley et al., 1999).
*Mothers’ OCD linked to over-protective parenting = greater
anxietyin children (Frias et al., 2020)
*High maternal trait anxiety associated with less optimal
neurological condition at 12 months, but no relationship
with paternal trait anxiety (Kikkertet al., 2010).

Question 3

children of the 90s cohort

Answer 3

Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
O’Conner et al.(2002)
*Used ALSPAC data from approx. 7,500pregnant women.
*Antenatalmaternal anxiety predictedbehavioural/
emotional problems in child at 4 years (slightly higher for
boys than girls)

Morales-Munoz et al. (2022)
*13-14, 000 pregnant women’s data
*Mothers with postnatal depression more likely to have
children with anxiety at 10 years old.
*Mothers with postnatal anxiety more likely to have children
reporting psychotic experiences at 12/13 years old.

Question 4

impact of eating disorders

Answer 4

*Children with one/both parents with BED psychopathology had
higher emotional and behavioralproblemscompared to healthy
controls (Cimino et al., 2016).
*Mothers can show emotional unattunement and intrusiveness
at mealtimes and increased difficulty weaning daughters
(Agras, 1999).
*Children show less requests for food (Patel et al., 2002).
*Martini et al (2020); Systematic Review: Children exhibit more
difficulties in feeding and eating behaviours, display more
psychopathological and socio-emotional difficulties, and are
more likely to be described as having a difficult temperament.

Question 5

ER on anxiety-

Answer 5

Teetsel et al., 2014= anxious fathers were observed to be more controlling than anxious mothers; while anxious mothers reported using more punishment and reinforcement of children’s dependence in anxiety provoking situations compared to fathers. These behaviors can limit children’s autonomy and may contribute to the development of anxiety in children

Gibbons 2021 (dissertation)- with parental psychological control acting as a mediator. The study found that higher parental anxiety was associated with increased psychological control, which in turn was linked to higher adolescent anxiety. This suggests that parental anxiety can lead to controlling parenting behaviors that may exacerbate anxiety in adolescents