Childhood anxiety is a common problem, affecting up to 20% of children. If left untreated, it is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including lower academic achievement, social difficulties, poor physical health outcomes, and employment difficulties in adulthood. Unfortunately, only a small number of children with anxiety receive proper psychological help, and childhood anxiety often persists into adulthood, as well. Parents are one of the main gatekeepers for children’s mental health help-seeking. It is important for parents to be able and willing to seek help if they or their child have concerns regarding the child’s mental health.

Previous research has identified several factors associated with lower rates of parental help-seeking for child anxiety. These include stigma (negative attitudes and stereotypes), poor literacy (lack of knowledge) and self-efficacy (personal judgement of competence). However, there is little research on how parents’ stigma, literacy and self-efficacy affect their willingness to seek help for their children’s anxiety. There is also minimal research on how parenting practices affect their help-seeking intentions. Understanding how parental factors influence help-seeking is important in order to support anxious children and their families