Parental Accommodations as a Predictor of Child Psychological Outcomes Following a Hurricane

Abstract

Natural disasters have a lasting impact on the mental health of the children. The effects on children's mental health included posttraumatic stress symptoms, behavioral problems (e.g., disruptive behaviors), depression, and anxiety. Overall, parents have been an important factor in the lasting effects of natural disasters on children's mental health. Although most research has examined overall parental mental health outcomes on childhood outcomes, little research has concentrated on specific parental behaviors that might help children deal with natural disasters. One of those behaviors may be the level of parental accommodations. Considering parental accommodations are often used when a child is upset or distressed, it seems feasible that parental accommodations may also be associated with childhood outcomes after a natural disaster. This study examines the use of parental accommodations in the context of Hurricane Harvey and the associated effects on child outcomes. Participants (N = 129) who were parents, completed an online survey answering questions on their Hurricane Harvey experiences as well as shared about their parenting practices and their perception of their children's outcomes both during and after this time. Overall, parental accommodations were associated with more negative mental health outcomes for children, after a natural disaster. Given these results, it is important that professionals help parents understand how to be supportive of their children during or immediately following a natural disaster, without being overly accommodating to their child's anxiety.