FAMILY ACCOMMODATION IN PEDIATRIC ANXIETY DISORDERS. Issue 1 (10th September 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lebowitz, Eli R.; Woolston, Joseph; Bar‐Haim, Yair; Calvocoressi, Lisa; Dauser, Christine; Warnick, Erin; Scahill, Lawrence; Chakir, Adi R.; Shechner, Tomer; Hermes, Holly; Vitulano, Lawrence A.; King, Robert A.; Leckman, James F.
• Is Part Of: Depression and anxiety. Volume 30:Issue 1(2013:Jan.)
• Page Start: 47
• Page End: 54
• Publication Date: 2012-09-10
• Subjects: Anxiety -- Periodicals; Depression, Mental -- Periodicals; Depression -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety Disorders -- Periodicals; 616.8527005
• DOI: 10.1002/da.21998
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1091-4269

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="da21998-sec-0010" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p> <italic>Family accommodation has been studied in obsessive compulsive disorder using the</italic> <italic>F</italic> <italic>amily</italic> <italic>A</italic> <italic>ccommodation</italic> <italic>S</italic> <italic>cale (</italic> <italic>FAS</italic> <italic>) and predicts greater symptom severity, more impairment, and poorer treatment outcomes. However, family accommodation has yet to be systematically studied among families of children with other anxiety disorders. We developed the</italic> <italic>F</italic> <italic>amily</italic> <italic>A</italic> <italic>ccommodation</italic> <italic>S</italic> <italic>cale—</italic> <italic>A</italic> <italic>nxiety (</italic> <italic>FASA</italic> <italic>) that includes modified questions from the</italic> <italic>FAS</italic> <italic>to study accommodation across childhood anxiety disorders. The objectives of this study were to report on the first study of family accommodation across childhood anxiety disorders and to test the utility of the</italic> <italic>FASA</italic> <italic>for assessing the phenomenon</italic>.</p> </sec> <sec id="da21998-sec-0020" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p> <italic>Participants were parents (n = 75) of anxious children from two anxiety disorder specialty clinics (n = 50) and a general outpatient clinic (n = 25). Measures included</italic> <italic>FASA</italic>, <italic>structured diagnostic interviews, and measures of anxiety and depression</italic>.</p> </sec> <sec id="da21998-sec-0030" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p> <italic>Accommodation was highly prevalent across all anxiety disorders and particularly associated with separation anxiety. Most parents reported participation in symptoms and modification of family routines as well as distress resulting from accommodation and undesirable consequences of not accommodating. The</italic> <italic>FASA</italic> <italic>displayed good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. Accommodation correlated significantly with anxious but not depressive symptoms, when controlling for the association between anxiety and depression. Factor analysis of the</italic> <italic>FASA</italic> <italic>pointed to a two‐factor solution; one relating to modifications, the other to participation in symptoms</italic>.</p> </sec> <sec id="da21998-sec-0040" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p> <italic>Accommodation is common across childhood anxiety disorders and associated with severity of anxiety symptoms. The</italic> <italic>FASA</italic> <italic>shows promise as a means of assessing family accommodation in childhood anxiety disorders</italic>.</p> </sec> </abstract>