You catch yourself dreading a phone call, and the worry sounds exactly like your mum’s. You start to wonder: is anxiety genetic, or did you learn it by watching? This article explains what Australian research says about genes, learning and how the two work together, and what that means for you.
Does anxiety run in families?
Yes, anxiety often runs in families, but that pattern alone does not tell you why. Shared genes, shared habits and shared stress can all play a part.
A Western Australian study followed mothers and their children from pregnancy into young adulthood. It found that maternal anxiety (relative risk 1.60) and paternal emotional problems (1.32) were each linked to higher anxiety in their children at age 20, while maternal depressive symptoms were not (Source: Raine Study, Psychiatry Research, 2021).
A relative risk above 1 means a higher likelihood, not a certainty. You can read the Raine Study findings for the full detail.
This is why people ask whether anxiety is hereditary, and why the honest answer is “partly, and not in a simple way”.
Is anxiety genetic? What research says about genes
Genes play a real but partial role. So, is anxiety genetic? Partly. Inherited factors help explain why some people are more prone to it, and no single gene decides who develops it.
Heritability is a population number, not your personal odds
Heritability describes how much of the difference between people in a large group links to genes. It does not tell you your own chance.
An older study of 2,287 Australian and 1,185 Dutch twins and siblings gave upper heritability estimates from 36% for major depression to 50% for social phobia (Source: Twin Research and Human Genetics, 2005).
Why there is no single “anxiety gene”
Researchers currently know of about 60 genetic variants that influence anxiety, and hundreds of thousands are likely to contribute in total (Source: QIMR Berghofer, 2025). Scientists call this a polygenic pattern: many tiny effects that add up. Each one nudges the odds only slightly.
QIMR Berghofer invited 5,000 Australians to take part in its Living With Anxiety research to learn more.
How can anxiety be learned?
Anxiety can be learned through what you watch, what you avoid and what you live through, especially early in life. The Australian Psychological Society lists anxious thinking patterns, avoidance and stressful events among the factors involved (Source: Australian Psychological Society).
Watching and absorbing
Growing up with an anxious parent or family member can teach anxious thinking patterns and behaviours, much like any other habit you pick up at home (Source: Lifeline). If you saw someone treat every small risk as a threat, you may have learned to do the same. Psychologists call this modelling.
This is not about blame. Parents usually pass on what they learned themselves.
Avoidance and reassurance
Avoiding what scares you brings quick relief. Over time, though, the fear can grow, because you never find out that you could cope. Asking others to reassure you works the same way. This post on how avoidance keeps anxiety going explains the cycle in more detail.
Early experiences and stress
Childhood instability, such as moving schools or family upheaval, and trauma can contribute to anxiety (Source: Lifeline). Early-life stress can also raise the likelihood of anxiety later on (Source: Australian Psychological Society). Where anxiety links to past trauma, a registered psychologist may consider trauma-focused therapy such as EMDR.
How genes and learning work together
So, is anxiety genetic or learned? Both work as a pair. Inherited traits can make you more sensitive to stress, and life experience then shapes how that sensitivity shows up. The old nature versus nurture debate is better described as nature and nurture.
Researchers call this gene-environment interaction, or the diathesis-stress idea: a tendency plus a stressor. Some children are naturally more cautious, a trait known as behavioural inhibition. How the adults around them respond to that caution can matter.
A Macquarie University program for parents of preschoolers at higher risk of anxiety found fewer anxiety symptoms and fewer internalising disorders in the children about 11 years later (Source: Macquarie University Centre for Emotional Health, 2013).
That is a group result, and results vary between families. If you worry about passing anxiety on to your children, it suggests that what happens at home matters as well as genes. Your GP or a registered psychologist can talk through your situation.
What a family history does and doesn’t mean for you
A family history can raise your likelihood of anxiety, but it is not a prediction or a diagnosis. Many people with anxious relatives never develop an anxiety disorder, and many people with anxiety have no family history.
Three ideas come up often. The first is that there is one anxiety gene. The second is that “it’s in my DNA, so nothing will help”. The third is that anxiety is a habit you should just snap out of. None of them matches the research above.
Use this list to think about your own patterns. It is not a test, and it cannot diagnose anything.
Family patterns worth noticing
- You and a close relative worry about similar things.
- You learned to avoid certain places or situations by watching someone close to you.
- Reassurance from family helps for a moment, then the worry returns.
- You grew up in a home with a lot of change or stress.
- Your body reacts quickly to stress, and it always has.
If several of these ring true, a GP or registered psychologist can talk them through with you.
Does the cause change how anxiety is treated?
Usually not by much. A psychologist focuses mainly on the patterns that keep anxiety going today, whatever started them. A genetic tendency does not rule out therapy.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) helps you spot anxious thoughts and behaviours, test the fears behind them and build practical coping skills. It is a well-researched approach and features in the 2018 RANZCP clinical practice guidelines (now archived) for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder (Source: RANZCP, 2018).
At Sage, anxiety therapy in Perth most often draws on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, with other approaches added where they fit. If patterns began early, schema therapy or psychodynamic work may be considered to explore where they came from. Some people also talk with their GP or psychiatrist about medication, and that decision belongs in a medical conversation.
Results vary, and individual circumstances differ. A registered health practitioner can talk you through what may suit you.
How to get started in Australia
You can start with your GP or book a psychologist directly. A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (often called a Mental Health Care Plan) lets you claim a Medicare rebate.
- See your GP. Mention your anxiety and any family history, and ask about a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
- Choose a registered psychologist. Check that they are registered with AHPRA, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
- Book a session. You do not need a referral to see Jacob Jones at Sage Psychological Services, but you do need the GP plan to claim a rebate. Sage bills privately, and the fees and rebates page explains the details.
- Attend your first session. You talk through your history and goals, and your psychologist explains the approach. Telehealth is available across Western Australia if you prefer to talk from home.
If you would like to talk through your situation with a registered psychologist in East Fremantle, Sage Psychological Services is happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
- It is usually both. Research suggests inherited tendencies raise the likelihood of anxiety for some people, while learning and life experience shape how those tendencies show up. No single gene decides the outcome. About 60 genetic variants are known so far, and many more probably contribute (Source: QIMR Berghofer, 2025). A psychologist can help you make sense of your own patterns.
- You can inherit tendencies that make you more sensitive to stress, but you do not inherit anxiety itself. In a Western Australian study, maternal anxiety and paternal emotional problems were each linked to higher anxiety in young adult children (Source: Raine Study, Psychiatry Research, 2021). Linked means more likely, not certain. Many other factors play a part.
- Some people are born with a more cautious or sensitive temperament, which can raise the likelihood of anxiety. Whether anxiety develops usually depends on experiences too, such as stress, early-life events and the habits you learn. So it is rarely one or the other. If you are worried about your own situation, a GP or registered psychologist can help.
- Not necessarily. A parent’s anxiety can raise your likelihood, but it does not mean you will develop an anxiety disorder. Genes, learned habits and life events all contribute, and the mix differs for everyone. If anxiety is affecting your daily life, it is worth talking to your GP or a registered psychologist, whatever your family history.
- Many learned patterns, such as avoidance and anxious thinking, can be worked on in therapy. A Macquarie University program for parents also found fewer anxiety symptoms in children years later (Source: Macquarie University Centre for Emotional Health). Results vary, and individual circumstances differ, so speak with a registered psychologist about what may suit you.
- Genetic research is active, but a gene test cannot diagnose anxiety or tell you whether you will develop it. A health professional diagnoses anxiety based on your symptoms and how they affect your life. If you see a test advertised that claims otherwise, ask your GP before you pay for it.
- You do not usually need a referral. You can book a psychologist directly, including Jacob Jones at Sage Psychological Services. You do need a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan if you want to claim a Medicare rebate. Sage bills privately, so ask about fees before you book.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for advice from a registered health practitioner. Anxiety looks different for everyone, so speak with your GP or a registered psychologist about your situation.
