The Effect of Child Distress on Maternal Accommodation of Anxiety: Relations with Mother and Child Factors

Abstract

Research supports a relationship between parenting behaviors and anxiety in youth, yet few studies have examined parental accommodation in the context of youth with anxiety disorders other than obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, little is known about the influence of child behaviors on parental accommodation and how accommodation relates to other parent and child factors. The present study examined the effect of child distress on maternal accommodation and the relationship between maternal accommodation and other parent and child factors in a sample of youth with anxiety disorders aged 7-17 (N = 70, M = 11.66, 47.1% males). Maternal accommodation was measured by vignettes depicting youth exhibiting high or low levels of distress in anxiety-provoking situations that elicited social anxiety, generalized anxiety, or separation anxiety. Results indicated an effect of child distress on accommodation of youth anxiety, such that mothers indicated more accommodation under conditions of high child distress. Furthermore, a relationship was found between greater accommodation and mothers holding more negative beliefs about their child's experience of anxiety. Maternal empathy moderated the relationship between accommodation and child distress, suggesting that mothers high in empathy demonstrate a greater degree of adaptability in response to child behaviors. Maternal anxiety also influenced the relationship between accommodation and child distress, with results varying based on situation type and suggesting that maternal anxiety may be associated with less adaptive responses to child behaviors. Clinical implications for the treatment of anxious youth are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.