Moderating Effects of Age and Gender on the Relationship Between Pediatric Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms and Parental Accommodation

Parental accommodation is a well-established anxiogenic parenting practice that is ubiquitous among parents of youth with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Accommodation is associated with heightened symptom severity (i.e., high levels of accommodation reinforce and maintain OCS). The present study sought to evaluate whether child age and gender moderated the relationship between parental accommodation and symptom severity. Participants included parents of children with a broad range of psychiatric disorders, as well as some youth with no psychiatric disorder (N = 61, children ages 7-17). Parents completed questionnaires related to their accommodation practices and their child's obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Age significantly moderated the relationship between accommodation and symptom severity, such that the relationship was stronger among older children. Gender significantly moderated the relationship between accommodation and symptom severity, such that the relationship was stronger among boys. Additional research is needed to further delineate the impact of age and gender on parental accommodation and OCS.