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The Role of Maternal Anxiety in Treatment Response for Youth with ASD and Co-occurring Anxiety

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Abstract

Anxiety disorders occur at higher rates in youth with ASD than in neurotypical youth. Although the efficacy of CBT for anxiety in children with ASD is widely supported, factors that influence treatment outcomes are not well understood. This study examined the role of maternal anxiety in treatment outcomes for youth with ASD. Youth with ASD and anxiety (ages 8 to 14), along with their mothers (n = 87), participated in a group CBT intervention. Results indicated that maternal anxiety did not improve over the course of treatment. However, findings suggest that high levels of maternal anxiety at pre-treatment predicted higher levels of youth anxiety post-treatment. Importantly, the relationship between parent anxiety and youth outcomes was moderated by child age. The findings of the present study may provide initial insight into the role that maternal anxiety plays in treatment outcomes for children with ASD and co-occurring anxiety, particularly when considering child age.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, 13123 East 16th Avenue, 80045, Aurora, CO, USA

    Lindsey DeVries

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Katherine Pickard

  3. Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, JFK Partners, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA

    Richard Boles, Audrey Blakeley-Smith, Allison Meyer & Judy Reaven

  4. Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Amie Duncan

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Amy Keefer

  6. TEACCH Autism Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Laura Klinger

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  1. Lindsey DeVries
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  2. Katherine Pickard
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  4. Audrey Blakeley-Smith
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  6. Amy Keefer
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Correspondence to Lindsey DeVries.

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DeVries, L., Pickard, K., Boles, R. et al. The Role of Maternal Anxiety in Treatment Response for Youth with ASD and Co-occurring Anxiety. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 54, 1789–1798 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01381-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01381-0

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