Parents' paranoia has been linked to their children's behavior in matters of safety: an apple from an apple tree

Secrecy and anxiety are copied by the child

A new study has found that parents' «paranoia» predicts their children's safety behavior. However, adolescents' skeptical attitude towards others did not predict that their parents would adhere to the same behavior module. The article was published in the journal Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

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Paranoia is characterized by a strong belief that one can harm others and is usually not shared by others. People suffering from paranoia may misinterpret harmless or neutral actions as hostile or threatening, resulting in increased vigilance and anxiety. Such people may become overly secretive, perceive ambiguous situations as negative, and struggle to form or maintain close relationships due to a general mistrust.

Safety behaviors often used by people suffering from paranoia include constantly looking for potential dangers and avoiding situations or places. While these actions may provide temporary comfort, they can also reinforce paranoid beliefs and block the ability to recognize that fears are unfounded.

The study examined the possibility that children acquire safety paranoia by observing and internalizing their parents' attitudes and beliefs. Researchers Sven N. Schönig and his colleagues sought to better understand this intergenerational transmission by hypothesizing a relationship between increased suspicion and the expression of “safe behavior.” both parents and their children.

The study involved 142 UK teenagers aged 14 to 17 and their parents, with 91 per cent of teenagers attending UK schools between the ages of 8 and 13. 60 percent of the parents were married. Levels of paranoia were within normal limits in 70 percent of adolescents and 65 percent of parents. Participants were assessed for paranoia, safety behaviors, and anxiety.

The study results revealed a relationship between severe paranoia and the use of safety behaviors. Parents who exhibited higher levels of anxiety raised children who adopted increased paranoia.

Parental fear for the child has become a factor determining safety behavior. However, adolescents' paranoia did not influence their parents' safety behavior. In addition, people with increased anxiety tended to exhibit more paranoia, although anxiety was not associated with safety behavior.

«To prevent adolescents from developing secretive and socially dangerous safety behaviors that contribute to maintaining paranoia, it seems necessary to change the family environment. Family interventions could provide targeted support to vulnerable children and young people who are susceptible to parental paranoia, as well as help identify communication strategies that promote trusting relationships,” — the researchers concluded.

It should be noted that the design of this analysis does not allow any causal conclusions to be drawn from the data, the researchers said. It remains unknown whether the observed association is a consequence of adolescents imitating their parents' behavior, or whether the association is created in some other way.