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FAMILY ACCOMMODATION IN PEDIATRIC ANXIETY DISORDERS
Author(s) -
Lebowitz Eli R.,
Woolston Joseph,
BarHaim 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.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.21998
Subject(s) - anxiety , accommodation , clinical psychology , distress , psychiatry , psychology , depression (economics) , anxiety disorder , medicine , neuroscience , economics , macroeconomics
Background Family accommodation has been studied in obsessive compulsive disorder using the F amily A ccommodation S cale ( FAS ) 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 F amily A ccommodation S cale— A nxiety ( FASA ) that includes modified questions from the FAS 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 FASA for assessing the phenomenon . Methods 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 FASA , structured diagnostic interviews, and measures of anxiety and depression . Results 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 FASA 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 FASA pointed to a two‐factor solution; one relating to modifications, the other to participation in symptoms . Conclusions Accommodation is common across childhood anxiety disorders and associated with severity of anxiety symptoms. The FASA shows promise as a means of assessing family accommodation in childhood anxiety disorders .