Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) in Addressing Paediatric Psychological Difficulties and Family Accommodations: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the efficacy of the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) intervention in reducing child psychological symptomology (e.g. anxiety, OCD) and family accommodations. A systematic review was conducted across PsycINFO, Medline, SCOPUS and Web of Science. Studies were included if they assessed SPACE and provided some measure of symptomology and/or family accommodations. Twelve studies were analysed using narrative synthesis and methodological quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment tool. The majority of studies were rated as low-quality. Most reported reductions in symptomology and family accommodations, although maintenance at follow-up was inconsistent. SPACE was generally comparable to other interventions, although control conditions were limited across studies. Emerging evidence supports the potential of SPACE in reducing both family accommodations and child symptomology. Future directions for research and clinical implications are discussed.