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| author | Alexander G. Pearce |
| title | Parental Perceptions of Mental Health Treatment Options for Childhood Anxiety Disorder |
| abstract | Anxiety is a major issue in the United States. There are several effective treatment options (CBT, family therapy, and
psychopharmacology) for children suffering from anxiety. Treatment effectiveness is enhanced by positive parent preference. Previous research suggests parents
tend to prefer CBT over medication. In addition, demographic factors may influence a parent's outlook regarding mental health treatment. The current study
assessed the influence of Ethnicity, political affiliation and religion in relation to seeking treatment for a child suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Participants were 318 parents, recruited through an online site, Amazon's mTurk, who had a child between 8 and 10 years of age. Participants answered a
series of demographic questions along with belief scales assessing their beliefs regarding mental illness, mental health treatment, treatment seeking, and
stigma. Respondents were then randomly assigned to one of two vignettes, that only differed in the gender of the child, describing a hypothetical child with
an anxiety disorder. The vignette was followed by a series of questions that assessed their willingness to seek treatment for the hypothetical child, treatment
preference and ability to access treatment. Results suggested that while parents indicated a preference for CBT, the only demographic factor that prevented
parents from seeking treatment was political conservatism. Furthermore, negative beliefs towards mental health treatment, treatment seeking, and fear of
stigma influenced a parent's decision to seek treatment more than demographic factors.
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| school | The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University |
| degree | B.A. (2018) |
| full text | AGPearce.pdf |
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