Social support as a protective factor against accommodation for anxiety in youth

ABSTRACT

Parental accommodation is one factor that has been consistently linked to youth anxiety, while social support has been linked to resilience. Ecological models may explain how the interaction of factors across environments impact child development. The current study seeks to examine the interaction between accommodation and peer social support in relation to child anxiety symptoms. It is hypothesized that peer social support will significantly moderate the relationship between accommodation and youth anxiety. The current sample included youth 9–17 years old and one of their parents (N = 62). Accommodation significantly predicted youth anxiety symptoms; however, the interaction of accommodation and peer social support did not exhibit a significant association with anxiety. Conclusions, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Disclosure statement

Christopher Flessner receives royalties from Guilford Press.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.