{"title":"The Role of Family and Supporter Accommodation in Late-Life Anxiety.","authors":"Courtney Muir, Viviana M Wuthrich, Carly J Johnco","doi":"10.1080/07317115.2025.2492132","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Family accommodation (e.g. providing excessive reassurance, facilitating avoidance) is widespread and exacerbates anxiety in children and young adults, however has not been examined in older adults. There are reasons to expect that family accommodation may also exacerbate anxiety in later life. However, it is important to consider that age-related changes in physical or cognitive abilities may necessitate the need for functional assistance from others during assessment. This study aimed to examine the phenomenology and clinical correlates of family accommodation in older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were 32 community-dwelling older adults, aged 60-88 (<i>M</i> = 69.78, SD = 8.62; 31% with a probable anxiety disorder) and their supporters. Dyads reported on supporter accommodation, mental health and functional ability and completed a behavioral stress task designed to elicit behavioral accommodation (intrusiveness, reassurance, and avoidance).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>80% of supporters of older adults with anxiety engaged in accommodation.Accommodation was associated with greater anxiety severity, but not functional ability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Family accommodation is common from supporters of older adults with anxiety, and linked to increased anxiety. Assessment and modification of these environmental reinforcers may be important targets for treatment.</p><p><strong>Clinical implications: </strong>Accommodation is an important environmental factor maintaining late-life anxiety, and should be reduced.</p>","PeriodicalId":10376,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Gerontologist","volume":" ","pages":"1081-1098"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Clinical Gerontologist","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2025.2492132","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/4/15 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Family accommodation (e.g. providing excessive reassurance, facilitating avoidance) is widespread and exacerbates anxiety in children and young adults, however has not been examined in older adults. There are reasons to expect that family accommodation may also exacerbate anxiety in later life. However, it is important to consider that age-related changes in physical or cognitive abilities may necessitate the need for functional assistance from others during assessment. This study aimed to examine the phenomenology and clinical correlates of family accommodation in older adults.
Methods: Participants were 32 community-dwelling older adults, aged 60-88 (M = 69.78, SD = 8.62; 31% with a probable anxiety disorder) and their supporters. Dyads reported on supporter accommodation, mental health and functional ability and completed a behavioral stress task designed to elicit behavioral accommodation (intrusiveness, reassurance, and avoidance).
Results: 80% of supporters of older adults with anxiety engaged in accommodation.Accommodation was associated with greater anxiety severity, but not functional ability.
Conclusions: Family accommodation is common from supporters of older adults with anxiety, and linked to increased anxiety. Assessment and modification of these environmental reinforcers may be important targets for treatment.
Clinical implications: Accommodation is an important environmental factor maintaining late-life anxiety, and should be reduced.
期刊介绍：
Clinical Gerontologist presents original research, reviews, and clinical comments relevant to the needs of behavioral health professionals and all practitioners who work with older adults. Published in cooperation with Psychologists in Long Term Care, the journal is designed for psychologists, physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors (family, pastoral, and vocational), and other health professionals who address behavioral health concerns found in later life, including:
-adjustments to changing roles-
issues related to diversity and aging-
family caregiving-
spirituality-
cognitive and psychosocial assessment-
depression, anxiety, and PTSD-
Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders-
long term care-
behavioral medicine in aging-
rehabilitation and education for older adults.
Each issue provides insightful articles on current topics. Submissions are peer reviewed by content experts and selected for both scholarship and relevance to the practitioner to ensure that the articles are among the best in the field. Authors report original research and conceptual reviews. A unique column in Clinical Gerontologist is “Clinical Comments." This section features brief observations and specific suggestions from practitioners which avoid elaborate research designs or long reference lists. This section is a unique opportunity for you to learn about the valuable clinical work of your peers in a short, concise format.
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