Temperament has long since been viewed as having biological roots and being stable over the course of a life. Major depressive disorder and many other mood disorders has also been shown to have a biological component due to its cause being attributed to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in certain key areas of the brain. Since both temperament and mood disorders are linked to biology, it can be hypothesized that they may have some correlations.

How Temperament Plays a Role in Mood Disorders

Anxiety disorders are very prevalent in youth today, and they have their onset in childhood or early adulthood. Pediatric anxiety disorders can lead to adult psychopathology and are associated with poor functioning in several areas of life. Some of the of the most common anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Social Anxiety Disorder, or Social Phobia (SOP). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of such anxiety disorders and is one of the main treatment options recommended for mental disorders. The specific research question being investigated in this study would be the treatment efficacy of CBT in children and adolescents diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.