Who calls, who engages? Families seeking treatment for anxiety and OCD

Abstract

Pediatric anxiety is among the most common mental health diagnoses for American youth, yet few youths diagnosed with anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) receive treatment. The majority of parents nationwide report at least some difficulty accessing mental health care for their child. Within the state of Rhode Island, where 12.7% of youth experienced anxiety concerns during 2021, 59% of caregivers reported difficulty accessing mental health care of any kind (Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2021-2022). Access to exposure-based CBT (exposure therapy), despite strong evidence as a frontline treatment for anxiety/OCD, is especially limited.