المصدر - Kucirkova
https://careersinpsychology.org/psyc...how-does-help/New research discovers that when mothers of children with social anxiety disorder try to support their children, their efforts may lead to negative consequences.
Investigators used an experiment that involved building difficult puzzles and discovered that, even at home, mothers of children with the disorder are more involved with their offspring than mothers of healthy control children.
These findings indicate behavioral control>Therapy and Research.
Experts explain that social anxiety disorder (SAD) usually emerges in late childhood or early adolescence. It affects up to seven percent of children and can persist into adulthood if left untreated.
The diagnosis involves a persistent fear of being embarrassed in social settings. SAD can limit children’s lives in regard to the social relationships they are able to form, their academic performance, and their general well-being.
Most studies that have assessed the important role of the family with regard to SAD have been done within a laboratory setting. To extend research>
The children had to complete as many difficult tangram puzzles as possible within ten minutes, and were told that they would receive the results afterwards. The mothers were allowed but not encouraged to help.
The puzzle-building simulated a typical task such as homework or preparation for school that could induce mental stress and frustration. The sessions were videotaped without the experimenter being presented.
According to Asbrand, the finding that mothers of children with SAD are more involved in their offspring’s lives are in line with those of previous studies. She says such over involvement extends to helping with tasks such as preparing for school, as well as tasks that require interaction.
In the experiment, it was noted that mothers of children with SAD touched the puzzle pieces significantly more often and assisted without the child asking for help or showing overt signs of helplessness.
These results indicate behavioral control on the part of the mother. On the positive side, mothers of SAD children were not overly critical or negative about their children’s performance.
“By touching the puzzle, mothers may convey the impression that the child is not able to solve the puzzle alone, thereby limiting the child’s degree of self-efficacy,” Asbrand elaborates.
“Consequently, this kind of control may lead the child to constantly expect a threatening environment, which could increase hypervigilance and subjective fear.
Such behavior by mothers also limits their children’s opportunity to successfully apply coping strategies to new situations on their own.”
Asbrand sees value in focusing on ways to change interactional processes within families, for instance by training parents to react more flexibly towards their children.
