Accommodation in Youths’ Mental Health: Evidence and Issues

Abstract

Accommodation refers to the ways in which parents or other family members modify routines or expectations to alleviate a child’s symptoms and emotional distress. In the context of youth obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, accommodation contributes to both the development and the maintenance of the disorder. We review the literature on accommodation in youths, including evidence for the central role that accommodation plays in the maintenance of OCD and anxiety. We then highlight several issues requiring further research, including the role of accommodation in other disorders and settings.