The Effectiveness of Attachment-based Parent Training Method in Anxiety Syndrome of Preschool Children

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of attachment-based parent training on anxiety syndrome in 2- to 6-year-old children. Method: A quasi-experimental design was conducted in this research. 278 mothers completed The Spence Preschool Anxiety Scales (SPAS). 74 mothers that their children’s anxiety scores were one standard deviation above the population’s mean were selected. They completed The Conner’s Behavioral Rating Scale, investigating the absence of any other psychological problems in those children. Finally, 61 mothers were selected and assigned to the experimental and control group and received the training package for eight sessions, 2-hour-long each. Three months after finishing finishing the trainin g sessions for the experimental group and 3 months later, The SPAS were completed by mothers in both groups. Repeated mesures ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Result: The results showed that Parent Training Package diccreased generalized, social and separation anxiety subscales and total anxiety score in the experimental group more than the control group (p<0.0001). This reduction was sustained during the three months of follow-up, but no significant reduction in problems related to obsessive compulsive disoder and physical injury phobia was found after the intervention. Conclusion: It can be concluded that attachment-based parent training can decrease anxiety in preschool children. These results suggest that child therapists can use this method in order to prevent and treat children’s anxiety.