Maternal anxiety and child emotional distress during war: the buffering roles of maternal self-efficacy and parent–child communication

Introduction – War-related stressors can have profound effects on family psychological wellbeing, with young children being particularly vulnerable to emotional distress when their parents experience heightened anxiety. This study examined the association between maternal anxiety and child emotional distress during a period of war-related stress and explored parental factors that may protect children from heightened distress. Methods – The sample included 135 mothers and their children residing in central Israel, who were exposed to daily missile attacks during the first month of the “Iron Swords” war. Mothers completed standardized questionnaires assessing maternal anxiety (GAD-7), parental self-efficacy (MaaPS-SF), war-related parent–child communication, and child emotional distress (PEDS). Results – Results indicated that higher levels of maternal anxiety were positively associated with greater child emotional distress. However, this association was not significant among mothers with higher self-efficacy, nor among those who engaged in conversations with their children about the war. Maternal anxiety increased with child age and decreased with maternal self-efficacy, yet the buffering roles of self-efficacy and parent–child conversations were consistent for children of all ages. Discussion – These findings emphasize the importance of supporting parental self-efficacy and fostering open parent– child communication as protective factors that may enhance family resilience during wartime.