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Parental Involvement in Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Anxious Children: Parents’ In-Session and Out-Session Activities and Their Relationship with Treatment Outcome

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Abstract

The present study explored the role of parents’ in-session and out-session involvement in CBT for anxious children. Fifty 8- to 12-year-old children with a principal DSM-IV anxiety disorder participated in a group CBT program. Parental involvement in the therapy was assessed by the clinician and the children and parents completed a standardized anxiety scale as the main therapy outcome measure, at pre- and post-intervention. In addition, the parents completed questionnaires to evaluate a number of possible correlates of parental involvement, namely, child’s anxiety symptoms intensity and interference, parental beliefs about anxiety, expectancies regarding the efficacy of the intervention, and parental anxiety. The results indicated that the parents were moderately involved in the therapy and that socio-economic status and parental beliefs about anxiety were significant correlates of parental involvement. Finally, partial support was found for the idea that parents’ involvement in the therapy might have a positive impact on therapy outcome.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by two Grants from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/PSI-PCL/122007/2010; SFRH/BPD/63960/2009). The authors thank all the schools, families and children for their participation in this study.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Psicologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Isabel Pereira, Luisa Barros, Ana Rita Goes & Teresa Marques

  2. Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Peter Muris

  3. ICBAS, Porto, Portugal

    Denisa Mendonça

Authors
  1. Ana Isabel Pereira
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Correspondence to Ana Isabel Pereira.

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Pereira, A.I., Muris, P., Mendonça, D. et al. Parental Involvement in Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Anxious Children: Parents’ In-Session and Out-Session Activities and Their Relationship with Treatment Outcome. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 47, 113–123 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0549-8

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