Aspectos transgeracionais do transtorno de ansiedade social entre mulheres jovens da percepção acerca do vínculo com suas mães à influência do transtorno no desenvolvimento cognitivo e na linguagem de seus filhos

Abstract

Introduction: Social anxiety disorder is a common disease, which symptoms, including behavioral inhibition, seem to be associated with poor affective care and maternal over control and protection. In addition, it has been shown that children raised by mothers with mental disorders have a poor cognitive and verbal performance. Objectives: Assess the association between social anxiety disorder in young women and their perception of how their own mothers raised them, as well as its association with cognitive and verbal development in their children. Methods: We used data from a cohort study. Teenage mothers, (from 13 to 19 years old) receiving prenatal medical assistance in the national public health system in the urban area of Pelotas, were prospectively followed during their pregnancy and 30 months postpartum. Social anxiety disorder was assed using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI Plus). We used the Portuguese version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), to measure women’s perception of bond quality with their own mothers, in terms of care and control. We assessed the children’s cognitive and verbal performances using the da Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development- Third Edition at 30 months. Results: We found a significant association between the presence of social anxiety disorder in young women and bond perception with their mothers; prevalence of social anxiety disorder was higher in women who reported their mothers as neglectful (PR 6.39 95% CI 1.2-32.0), and between women who perceived their mother as affectionless controlling (PR 5.57 CI 95% 1.5-19.7) when compared to those who received optimal care. In addition, children of women with social anxiety disorder had a mean score 4.5 points lower in cognitive (IC 95% -7.8; -1.1 p = 0.008) and verbal scales (IC 95% -9.0; -0.5 p = 0.047). Conclusion: Our results suggest that maternal characteristics are important for their children development, and it seems that there is a transmission of internalized models between generations. The women’s bond perception with their mothers seemed to influence the presence of social anxiety disorder, and this affected their own children cognitive and verbal development. To understand the aspects related to the origin and consequences of common disorders, like social anxiety disorder, could help us develop better diagnostic strategies for early intervention and prevention.