The effect of parent involvement in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children: a meta-analysis

Anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders: implications for treatment

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric comorbidities among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). There has been a recent proliferation of research examining the prevalence, phenomenology, assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders among youth with ASD. While there is currently very limited support for the use of pharmacological agents to treat anxiety among youth with ASD and comorbid anxiety, there has been overwhelming support across numerous modestly sized controlled studies for the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy. This review discusses advances in the treatment literature for anxiety in youth with ASD, and discusses the current evidence base for whether standard treatment needs to be adapted for this population.

Family Accommodation of Child and Adolescent Anxiety: Mechanisms, Assessment, and Treatment

TOPIC

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern for youth. Unfortunately, a substantial number of children and adolescents do not respond positively to current evidence-based interventions and/or relapse. As pediatric anxiety disorders are fundamentally a systemic phenomenon, focusing on the ways in which parents become involved in their children's anxiety symptoms may be a promising alternative approach to treatment.

PURPOSE

To inform psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) about the phenomenology, associated neurobiology, and assessment of family accommodation (FA) as well as clinical interventions targeting FA. FA refers to ways that parents adapt their own behaviors to reduce their children's anxiety-related distress.

SOURCES USED

A literature search was performed using Psyc-INFO and PubMed.

CONCLUSIONS

Current findings indicate a high prevalence of FA associated with pediatric anxiety disorders. FA has a potentially deleterious impact on course of illness and treatment response and is associated with greater caregiver burden. Potential neurobiological underpinnings of FA include dysregulation of parent cortico-limbic circuitry and the oxytocinergic system. PMHNPs are in a unique position to identify families engaged in problematic FA, educate their clientele, provide psychotherapy services with the goal of reducing FA, and consult with multidisciplinary team members.