Single-Session Computer-Delivered Intervention for Parental Accommodation and Overcontrolling Behaviors: A Pilot Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite repeated calls regarding the need to target parental accommodation and overcontrol in child anxiety treatment, brief protocols specifically targeting these behaviors in parents of clinically anxious youth are currently limited in number. The present investigation piloted and refined a theoretically informed, internet-delivered, single-session intervention (SSI) specifically aimed at reducing parental accommodation and overcontrolling behaviors. Socioeconomically and racially diverse parents of clinically anxious children (N = 12; M age =10.08 years, SD = 1.74, range = 7–14 years) were recruited in two phases. In Phase One, three online focus groups with two parents each (n = 6) received the intervention and provided qualitative and quantitative feedback on the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention program. Parental feedback from the focus groups was used to revise the program. In Phase Two, the revised program was administered to six new parents to examine the program’s acceptability and feasibility for increasing psychoeducational knowledge regarding child anxiety, parental accommodation, and overcontrol. Across both phases, the intervention was well-received by parents in terms of relevance, acceptability, and feasibility. Parents demonstrated significant increases in knowledge of parental accommodation, overcontrol, and child anxiety from pre- to post-intervention. Qualitative data indicated that parents benefited from the unique online format as well as the content. Findings support the feasibility and acceptability of an accessible and time-efficient SSI designed to target problematic parenting behaviors among parents of clinically anxious children.