What can we Learn from the Experience of Non-Responders to a Parent-Only Intervention for Childhood Anxiety?

Following a parent-only intervention for childhood anxiety, we sought to understand the treatment experience of those parents who affected reductions in their children’s anxiety levels (responders) and those where this did not occur (non-responders). Parents of children who completed a Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) informed parenting program (From Timid to Tiger) were invited to participate. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with parents of children who responded ( n = 10) and who did not ( n = 7) to the intervention. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data. Five themes were identified across all parents: centrality of parents, relationship change, centrality of group, connecting to the model, and wanting more. However, the meaning of each of the above themes differed somewhat between treatment responders and non-responders. The importance of appreciating the value of a parent-only intervention, overcoming parental skepticism regarding group treatment, and highlighting the importance of family support were associated with treatment responders. In contrast, non-responder themes were more negative with respect to these same experiences. The importance of helping families understand the value of parent-only interventions and other implications of this data are discussed. Highlights Responders and non-responders reported benefits of being in a group, such as normalization, advice and support. While initial skepticism of parent-only interventions was challenged for responders, non-responders remained doubtful of its effectiveness. Non-responders struggled to find time between sessions to implement changes from the program, compared to responders. Non-responders felt unsupported by family implementing strategies. Responders reported shared responsibility among caregivers.