(PS5-56) Therapist Perceptions of the Utilization of and Barriers to Teaching Parents Not to Accommodate

Introduction: Anxiety and related concerns are the most common mental health concerns (Merikangas et al., 2010). If left untreated, anxiety may lead to additional concerns in a multitude of realms (e.g., psychological, familial, physical; Bittner et al., 2007; Perkonigg et al., 2005). Parental accommodation (i.e., parents modify their behavior to avoid or reduce their child’s distress) has been consistently linked to increased youth anxiety. Teaching parents not to accommodate has become a fundamental aspect of evidence-based treatments for youth anxiety. Despite its indisputable importance in decreasing youth anxiety, no research thus far has explored the extent to which clinicians teach parents not to accommodate or the barriers which might impede utilization. The aims of this study are to (1) explore the frequency at which clinicians are teaching parents not to accommodate and (2, 3) to explore barriers to the implementation of this aspect of therapy. In line with ecological models and exposure therapy literature, barriers will be explored at the client (e.g., parental motivation), organizational (e.g., funding), and therapist (e.g., knowledge) levels.

Methods: This study has been approved by the Kent State University’s Institutional Review Board. Participants of the current study are mental health clinicians across the United States. The study plans to complete recruitment of 355 participants by June 2024. Data is being collected through Qualtrics online survey platform software and participants complete an online questionnaire to address frequency and barriers. The questionnaire addresses barriers through various measures including the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3; Taylor et al., 2007), an adaptation of the Therapist Beliefs about Exposure Scale (TBES; Deacon et al., 2013), and The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003). Analytic Plan: Descriptive statistics will be run to assess Aim 1. An exploratory factor analysis will be utilized to examine Aim 2. In order to examine Aim 3, a regression analysis will be run to explore if barriers predict the frequency at which therapists teach parents not to accommodate. Results and Discussion to follow. Limitations include the online questionnaire platform which is an important initial step but it will be crucial to utilize additional methodology to explore frequency and barriers to evidence based care.