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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Will my anxiety be passed down to my future children?

    Related Topic
    Anxiety
    I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder, social phobia and depression. If I have children will they be affected?
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    Emma Pinn

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    I'm a Clinical Psychologist who has expertise working with children, adolescents, young people, and adults in managing anxiety, depression, emotional problems, insomnia, low motivation, and … View Profile

    I agree with Doctor Simon, that there is some genetic role in anxiety, but this shouldn't be interpreted as a sentence for your children, should you have any.

    I think it's important to note that as well as genes playing a role, a parent's behaviour can influence the development of anxiety in their child. Parents who experience anxiety will often express more worries in front of their child, and be over-protective of their child, which can inadvertently instill anxiety in the child. If a child notices that their parent is anxious, it gives the message to the child that there really is something to worry about. Thus, it's important to seek out evidence-based treatment for your anxiety (and depression), to help you manage it, as well as give you the skills you need to model good anxiety management practices for your (future) children.

    Best wishes.

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    Anthony Berrick

    Psychologist

    Anthony is a consultant psychologist and certified dog trainer, with over a decade of clinical experience helping people affected by cynophobia, as well as other … View Profile

    Of course, your biological children will inherit roughly half of your genes. However, as Simon has explained, your genes don't cause anxiety disorders, but can increase suscepitbility to developing anxiety disorders in the right (or wrong) environment.

    What really matters is the environment you create for your children (i.e. your behaviour, not your genes). As Emma pointed out, your own difficulties with anxiety and depression could potentially cause you to behave in ways that make it more likely for your children to have anxiety problems of their own - but they don't have to.

    If you seek help to understand and effectively deal with your own anxiety issues (seeing a psychologist would be a great start), then there is absolutely no reason why your children should have to struggle with anxiety issues too. 

    I think it would be a wonderful gift for your future children (not to mention for yourself) for you to get treatment.

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