Date of Submission

2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Jessica Glass Kendorski Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D

First Advisor

Virginia Salzer, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jessica Glass Kendorski, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Scott Glassman, Psy.D.

Abstract

The researcher conducted a mixed-methods study to investigate the effectiveness of an online parent coaching program in influencing parental beliefs about anxiety and enhancing parenting self-efficacy for managing adolescent anxiety. The researchers developed the piloted parenting program to determine whether a brief online intervention for parents could alter parental self-efficacy and beliefs about adolescent anxiety to bring about positive outcomes for adolescents undergoing treatment for anxiety. The team recruited parents of adolescents diagnosed with or receiving treatment for anxiety symptoms from Philadelphia Integrative Psychiatry for a pre-intervention and post-intervention study. The proposed parenting program aims to address the shortcomings in current treatment practices for adolescent anxiety. Data collection transitioned from a pre-intervention and post-intervention design to a feasibility study due to a need for more participant engagement with the pre-intervention survey. Expert reviewers assessed the feasibility and efficacy of the parenting program through quantitative and qualitative data collection. Results showed that the intervention has the potential to effectively change parental beliefs about anxiety and self-efficacy to support their anxious adolescent. Still, barriers to engagement included time constraints, emotional burdens, and a need for professional support. Addressing these barriers is crucial to optimizing the effectiveness of online programs supporting anxious adolescents' parents.

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