Childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and anxiety in emerging adulthood: Indirect effects of perceived stress.
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BACKGROUND: Although childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors is associated with elevated anxiety in emerging adulthood, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. Perceived stress-a subjective experience comprised of feelings of helplessness (being unable to cope or exert control) and poor self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to manage stressors)-is one candidate mechanism. The present investigation examined the underlying role of perceived stress in the association between childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and anxiety symptom severity in a sample of emerging adults. METHODS: Participants (N=855; Mage =18.75 years, SD=1.05, range 18-24; 70.8% female) were recruited from a large state university and administered a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing constructs of interest. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that only greater childhood exposure to maternal threatening behaviors was directly associated with greater feelings of helplessness and lower self-efficacy. Furthermore, only childhood exposure to maternal threatening behaviors was indirectly associated with anxiety severity through greater feelings of helplessness and lower self-efficacy. In contrast, childhood exposure to paternal threatening behaviors was neither directly nor indirectly associated with anxiety severity. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a cross-sectional design, use of self-report measures, and a nonclinical sample. Replicating these findings in a clinical sample and testing the hypothesized model in a longitudinal design is necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the need for intervention efforts that screen for and target perceived stress in emerging adults exposed to negative maternal parenting behaviors.
