Both maternal symptoms and adolescent offspring characteristics are associated with maladaptive parenting among families at risk for anxiety. One disorder that may be particularly associated with maladaptive parenting behaviors is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Previous work suggests that offspring negative affect (NA) is associated with different levels of maladaptive parenting behaviors among mothers with GAD. No work to date, however, has examined the association between offspring reported NA, maternal GAD, and maternal worry about offspring or maternal perceptions of psychological control (PC) among mothers of adolescents. Sixty-five mothers who were elevated in anxious arousal and their adolescent offspring between the ages of 12 and 16 years old (n = 65, 55% male, M_age = 13.89) reported on parenting (mother report), NA (offspring report), and GAD symptoms (assessed via structured clinical interview), and maternal anxiety sensitivity (AS) symptoms. Study results indicated that maternal GAD status interacted with offspring NA in relation to maternal reported use of PC and worry about offspring. Specifically, offspring NA was positively related to PC for mothers without GAD, but not for mothers with GAD. Further, for mothers with GAD, offspring NA was negatively related to worry about offspring, but this relation did not persist for mothers without GAD. Maternal AS was related to overall higher levels of worry about offspring and PC. Mothers with GAD report using higher levels of maladaptive parenting when offspring report lower levels of NA, and lower levels when offspring report high NA. This pattern was specific to maternal GAD (c.f. anxiety sensitivity).

母亲的症状和青少年后代的特征都与有焦虑风险的家庭中适应不良的养育方式有关。一种可能与适应不良的养育行为特别相关的疾病是广泛性焦虑症 (GAD)。以前的研究表明，后代的负面影响（NA）与 GAD 母亲不同程度的不适应育儿行为有关。然而，迄今为止，还没有任何工作研究过后代报告的 NA、母亲 GAD 和母亲对青春期母亲的后代或母亲对心理控制 (PC) 感知的担忧之间的关联。65 名焦虑觉醒水平升高的母亲及其 12 至 16 岁的青春期后代（n = 65，55% 男性，M_年龄= 13.89）报告了育儿（母亲报告）、NA（后代报告）和 GAD 症状（通过结构化临床访谈评估）和母亲焦虑敏感性 (AS) 症状。研究结果表明，母亲 GAD 状态与后代 NA 相互作用，与母亲报告的 PC 使用和对后代的担忧有关。具体而言，对于没有 GAD 的母亲，后代 NA 与 PC 呈正相关，但对于患有 GAD 的母亲则没有。此外，对于患有 GAD 的母亲，后代 NA 与担心后代呈负相关，但对于没有 GAD 的母亲，这种关系并没有持续存在。母体 AS 与对后代和 PC 的总体更高水平的担忧有关。患有 GAD 的母亲报告说，当后代报告较低水平的 NA 时，使用较高水平的不适应育儿，而当后代报告高 NA 时，则使用较低水平。