The relationship of parent- child relationship and attachment to god with anxiety disorders: Examining the mediating role of self-esteem and perceived control

Abstract Introduction: The purpose of current study was to investigate the relationship of parent-child relationship and attachment to god with anxiety disorders. Also the mediating role of self-esteem and perceived control was examined. Method: The sample included 270 female students in elementary schools (grade fifth and sixth) in Esfahan. In order to assess the variables, questionnaires Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotion Disorders (SCARED) (Birmaher, 1997), self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1989), Anxiety Control for Children- short form (ACQ-C) (Weems, 2005), parent-child relationship scale (PCRS) (Fine, Moreland & Schwebel, 1983) and attachment to god (Ghobari Bonab & Hadadi Koohsar, 1390) were used. To study the fitness of the proposed model, structural equation modeling (SEM) and AMOS 20 were used. Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) Results showed that self-esteem and perceived control mediated the relationship between relationship with father and anxiety. But, the association between relationship with mother and attachment to god with anxiety was direct and self-esteem and perceived control did not have any mediating role in these relations. With regard to analysis, increase in attachment to god, resulted in increase in anxiety. While, increase in relationship with mother reduced child's score of anxiety. Increase in relationship with father resulted in increase in both children's self-esteem and perceived control, which then declined child's anxiety. Conclusion: Enhancing relationship with mother directly reduce child's score of anxiety. While enhancing relationship with father increases children's self-esteem and perceived control, which then declines child's anxiety. Also increase in attachment to god directly results in increasing children's anxiety.