Table 6.
Selected correlates and risk factors for anxiety disorders
| Variables | Association with Anxiety Disordersa | Specificity for ParticularAnxiety Disorderb | Risk Factor Status (Temporal Priority)b | Specificity for Anxiety versus Depressive Disordersb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Female gender | +++ | − | ++ | − |
| Lower education | + | − | − | − |
| Bad financial situation/low household income | +++ | − | − | − |
| Urbanization | +/− | − | +/− | +/− |
| Pathophysiology | ||||
| Family genetics/familial aggregation | +++ | + | + | + |
| Psychobiology | +++ | + | +/− | + |
| Temperament and personality | ||||
| Neuroticism/negative affectivity | +++ | +/− | + | +/− |
| Behavioral inhibition | +++ | + | + | + |
| Environmental factors | ||||
| Parenting style/family climate | ++ | − | − | − |
| Childhood adversities (abuse, neglect, separation from parents, death of parent) | +++ | − | + | − |
| Life events | ++ | +/− | + | + |
a
Association with anxiety disorders: + ++, strong associations in many studies; ++, associations in several studies; +, associations in some studies, but some contrary findings; +/−, contrary findings; −, no associations in many studies.
b
Specificity for particular anxiety disorder/Risk factor status (temporal priority)/Specificity for anxiety versus depressive disorders: ++, strong evidence; +, some evidence; +/−, contrary findings; −, no evidence.