What Parents Think Versus What Parents Do: Examining Parental Accommodation Beliefs and Behaviors in Relation to Youth Anxiety in the Presence of Externalizing Concerns

Abstract

Anxiety and externalizing concerns create notable challenges for families. One factor that has been widely studied in relation to anxiety concerns, which may also be influenced by externalizing symptoms, is parental accommodation. Most research on parental accommodation has tended to focus on behaviors, while not accounting for accommodation beliefs. The current study sought to examine the relation between both parental accommodation beliefs and behaviors and also determine to what extent externalizing symptoms may influence this relation in youth. Treatment-seeking youth ( N = 260; Mage = 13.48, range: 8–17) and their caregivers completed measures on anxiety symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and parental accommodation. Results indicated that parental accommodation behaviors had a direct influence on anxiety-related family impairment and avoidance but not anxiety symptom severity. There were no direct associations for parental accommodation beliefs. Externalizing symptoms moderated the relation between accommodation behaviors and family impairment, suggesting that the influence of parental accommodation on reported family impairment is attenuated at greater levels of externalizing symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of considering externalizing symptoms when examining the relation between parental accommodation and anxiety presentations, as well as further researching how accommodation-specific beliefs may influence accommodation behaviors and anxiety in youth.