留守母亲与儿童焦虑代际传递的心理与生理机制

An important topic of ongoing interest in research on anxiety concerns the intergenerational transmission and psychological and biological mechanisms. However, prior research did not thoroughly explore the mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of anxiety due to the limitation in research design. Moreover, there is a dearth for the Chinese left-behind populations. By using a longitudinal left-behind and non left-behind sample of 600 families, this study would examine the intergenerational transmission of anxiety and its psychological and biological mechanisms with the survey of questionnaire (mother and child reports) and salivary cortisol. In specific, the goals of this study were to examine (1) the intergenerational transmission of mother-child anxiety in left-behind and non left-behind populations; (2) the mediating role of maternal passive parenting and children’s cortisol in the intergenerational transmission of mother-child anxiety; (3) the sequential mediation pathway from maternal anxiety to maternal passive parenting to children's cortisol to children's anxiety in sequence. (4) the moderating role of teacher’s support and children's temperament in the intergenerational transmission of mother-child anxiety. The proposed research not only has the potential to explore the differences in the degree and mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of anxiety between left-behind and non left-behind mothers and children, but also will make several significant conceptual contributions in the models of the formation of anxiety problems for left-behind children, which may have implications for the practical intervention of anxiety problems in left-behind children.

揭示焦虑的代际传递及其心理与生理机制是当前焦虑研究的重要前沿课题。然而，由于研究设计上的局限，已有研究未能充分揭示焦虑的代际传递机制，基于中国留守母亲与儿童群体的研究更属空白。本项目从发展心理学和生理心理学的视角，以600个父外留守与非留守家庭的母亲和儿童为被试，采用问卷调查法、唾液皮质醇检测法，基于追踪研究设计考察母子焦虑代际传递的心理与生理机制。研究的主要问题包括：留守与非留守母子焦虑的代际传递；母亲消极教养、儿童的皮质醇在焦虑代际传递间的中介作用；母亲焦虑依次通过母亲的消极教养、儿童的皮质醇影响儿童焦虑的序列中介过程；教师支持和儿童气质在焦虑代际传递间的调节作用。研究结果不仅可以揭示留守与非留守母子焦虑代际传递的程度及其机制的异同，而且可以提出留守儿童焦虑形成的新的科学创新性理论模型，对预防或缓解留守儿童焦虑的实践干预工作具有重要意义。

焦虑障碍是儿童青少年最为普遍的精神障碍之一，焦虑的代际传递及其心理与生理机制一直是焦虑研究的重要前沿课题。根据生态系统论、人－情境整体交互作用论和生物敏感性理论，本项目以800名父外留守与非留守家庭的母亲和儿童为被试，基于追踪研究设计，采用问卷调查法和生理检测法，首先从环境因素（父母教养、教师/朋友支持等）和儿童自身特征（气质、性别等）两方面入手考察了焦虑代际传递的心理机制，然后探讨了HPA轴活动在焦虑代际传递中的调节效应，完成了既定研究内容，实现了预期研究目标。主要研究结果包括：(1)留守与非留守母子焦虑的代际传递程度基本相当，6岁前父子分离的儿童尤其是女孩，母子焦虑的代际传递程度更强；(2)儿童的高意志控制能够打破留守母子焦虑的代际传递；(3)母亲心理控制对留守、非留守母子焦虑的代际传递均起部分中介作用，且与非留守母子相比，留守母子焦虑代际传递的中介效应受教师支持的调节，伴随教师支持水平的提高，中介效应变得不再显著；(4)父子依恋安全性和朋友支持在焦虑代际传递中的保护作用在留守与非留守母子群体存在差异性，朋友支持对留守母子焦虑代际传递的保护效应高于父子依恋安全性，父子依恋安全性对非留守母子焦虑代际传递的保护效应高于朋友支持；(5)儿童HPA轴活动的两项检测指标-唾液皮质醇日常变化节律和应激反应性在父外留守与非留守儿童焦虑发展中的作用有所不同，高皮质醇日常变化节律能够打破留守母子焦虑的代际传递，高皮质醇应激反应性能够缓冲不安全亲子依恋对非留守儿童焦虑的消极影响。这些成果不仅丰富了焦虑代际传递的理论研究，而且为项目组后续开展农村儿童心理健康教育等实践工作提供了重要启示。项目组未来研究拟在本项目基础上继续深化各具体焦虑症状（分离焦虑、躯体伤害恐惧、社交恐惧、恐慌障碍和广泛性焦虑）的代际传递及其机制研究，并深入揭示自主神经和HPA轴两种生理系统如何与环境因素共同作用于儿童焦虑。