Unpacking parental accommodation: Relationship to parent distress tolerance and cognitive styles

Abstract

Accommodation, or changes to parent behaviors or routines to avoid or alleviate child distress related to psychopathology, is one maladaptive parent response that is common in anxiety disorders and associated with poor youth outcomes. Little is known about the processes in parents that contribute to accommodation. Thus, the current study examined how accommodation relates to parent distress tolerance and cognitive styles. The present study utilized data from 295 parents (289 female) of children ages 4–10 who were recruited for a randomized trial of an internet-based single-session intervention targeting parent accommodation (NCT04453865). Results indicate a positive relationship between parent rumination and worry and accommodation, highlighting the influence of parent cognitive processes on their tendency to accommodate. In addition, results suggest a positive relationship between reduced parent distress tolerance and greater accommodation, and this relationship may be influenced by other factors. Future research that uses multiple methods of assessment will add to effective interventions for parent accommodation that can be used to improve youth outcomes.