Parental changes after involvement in their anxious child's cognitive behavior therapy

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Family Therapy
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Childhood anxiety is linked to specific parental behaviors and cognitions.
• The directionality of these associations requires further investigation.
• Parental involvement in child anxiety treatment is a potential factor influencing family dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of parental involvement in children's anxiety treatment on parental behaviors and cognitions.
• To explore how parental participation in therapy influences observed and self-reported behaviors and cognitions.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 54 children (7-12 years) and their parents.
• Parents were allocated to either an involved or not-involved treatment group.
• Assessed observed behavior, self-reported behavior, and cognitions for mothers and fathers at pre-, posttreatment, and follow-up.

Main Results:

• No significant changes in self-reported parental efficacy or observed negativity over time.
• Self-reported autonomy granting increased in both groups over time.
• Fathers involved in treatment showed a faster decrease in observed over-involvement; non-involved mothers showed a greater increase in self-reported autonomy granting.

Conclusions:

• Child anxiety significantly influences parental behaviors and cognitions.
• Child anxiety treatment can effectively alter the family system dynamics.
• Parental involvement in therapy demonstrates differential effects on specific parental behaviors.