Parents of anxious children should avoid 'protection trap'

Parents naturally comfort their kids when they are scared, but new research shows that some reactions may actually reinforce children's feelings of anxiety.
Researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) said that parents whose children suffer from anxiety often fall into the "protection trap" that may influence their child's behaviour.
ASU graduate student Lindsay Holly, who is earning her doctoral degree in clinical psychology, and Armando A Pina, ASU associate professor in child developmental psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences analysed self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews that were completed by 70 children.
The children, ages 6 to 16, were being treated for anxiety at a university-based programme.

"Anxiety in kids is one of the most common disorders in childhood. A certain amount of anxiety is normal and necessary to stay safe," Holly said.
"It's when the problematic levels of anxiety crop up - when you can't go to school or hang out with friends - that it becomes a major problem.

"That's when we can really look at what parents are doing and guide them in having a big impact on helping their kids cope with fears," Holly added.
Parents may fall into the protection trap with scared children that is helpful in the moment, but reinforces their long-term feelings when the kids realise that they receive positive attention from the behaviour.

"The protection trap can be confusing for parents to understand," Holly said.
For instance, anxious children often ask for reassurance far more than other children, yet reassurance in the face of anxiety and fear sometimes gives the message that there is something dangerous in the environment to worry about, thus promoting avoidance of every situation that is perceived to be scary, she said.
Another aspect of the protection trap identified through the study involves parents who allow their kids to avoid situations that are scary or uncomfortable.
Excuses may be made in order to avoid scary things or situations and that can increase anxiety.

"The more a child avoids a situation that may be scary, the scarier it becomes because they don't have a chance to overcome it," Holly said.
"They aren't given the chance to develop the coping skills or strategies to deal with the situation appropriately," she said.
Parents can monitor how their own reaction to their child's anxiety affects their kids, thinking about the best way to respond and giving their children positive attention when they do something brave or face their fears in scary situations.
The study was published in the journal Child Psychiatry and Human Development.