Parental Predictors of School Attendance Difficulties in Children Referred to an Anxiety Disorders Clinic

Abstract

Difficulties with attending school are common in children referred to anxiety disorders clinics. Although parental factors have been posited as playing an important predictive role, little is known about which parental factors are associated with school attendance difficulties (SADs). We address this gap by examining family accommodation, parental psychological control, parental anxiety, and parental depression as possible predictors of SADs in children (N=343; ages 6 to 17 years, M=10.40 years, SD=2.93; 84% mothers; M=41.20 years, SD=5.49) who presented to a childhood anxiety disorders clinic. Forty-eight percent (n= 166) had SADs including not attending school, arriving to school late and/or leaving early, not staying in the classroom during school hours, or behavior problems associated with attending school (e.g. morning tantrums). Logistic regression analyses using child and parent ratings revealed that of the parental variables examined, family accommodation and parental depression were significant predictors of SADs after controlling for the effects of parental psychological control, parental anxiety, child age, child anxiety and child depression. The study’s findings suggest that high levels of family accommodation and high levels of parental depression increase the odds of SADs in anxious children.