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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Aug;45(8):2464-73.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2410-0.

Examining the Relationship Between Parental Anxiety and Treatment Response in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Anxiety

Judy Reaven  1 , Lindsay Washington, Eric J Moody, Jessica A Stern, Susan L Hepburn, Audrey Blakeley-Smith
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Examining the Relationship Between Parental Anxiety and Treatment Response in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Anxiety

Judy Reaven et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

In response to the high co-occurrence of anxiety symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), several interventions have been developed for this population. In spite of promising findings, some youth with ASD respond only minimally to such interventions. To understand potential factors that may impact treatment response, the current study explores the role of parental anxiety in youth treatment outcome. Thirty-one youth with ASD, ages 7-18, and their parents participated in the study. Parents completed the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory pre- and post-treatment. Contrary to previous research, there was no correlation between parental anxiety and youth anxiety at baseline or post-treatment. However, parental trait anxiety significantly decreased from pre- to post-treatment for parents of treatment responders. The findings are consistent with previous research and suggest a youth-to-parent influence.

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