Adolescent Anxiety and Inhibitory Fear Learning: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Anxiety problems affect adolescents worldwide, and contribute to long-term psychological consequences for some. Research examining the cross-cultural similarities and differences in adolescent anxiety and its development is limited, putting to question the generalizability of existing theories and treatment approaches. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms behind the development and maintenance of adolescent anxiety across London and Hong Kong. Considering both similarities in urbanization between the two cultures and differences in their socialization, specifically cultural values and parenting styles, findings will offer insight in adolescent anxiety from a cross-cultural perspective.

One potential mechanism that might affect how anxiety symptoms manifest is inhibitory fear learning, that is the ability to learn to inhibit one’s fear on the basis of safe experiences. Research suggests that one’s ability to inhibit fear is affected by his or her own learning from past experiences, and difficulties with this process contribute to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. In the present study, we examined whether inhibitory fear learning is related to adolescent anxiety and differs across cultures. Inhibitory fear learning is measured using the Fear Inhibition Questionnaire (FIQ), a self-report questionnaire that assesses individual differences in their ability to learn to inhibit or reduce their fear during and after anxiety provoking situations. Adolescent anxiety is measured by the Screen for Childhood Anxiety Related Disorders questionnaire (SCARED; Birmaher et al., 1999), which screens for childhood anxiety disorders including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, and social phobia. Students, between the age of 12 to 18, from schools in London and Hong Kong, are recruited for this study.