On average two children in every UK classroom are experiencing anxieties, fears or worries that significantly affect their day-to-day life. At the moment, only a minority of these children are receiving professional help. We want to help ensure more children who are experiencing anxiety difficulties receive the help they need.
Ten primary schools from across England are taking part in the I-CAT study. More than 350 children and their parents and teachers have completed questionnaires about the child’s anxiety. In cases where responses on the questionnaires indicate the child may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, we are following up with families and offering more detailed assessments. We are then interviewing parents of children with an anxiety disorder to find out about their views and experiences of seeking professional help. These interviews are still ongoing but are highlighting the range of difficulties families can face seeking and accessing treatment for anxiety problems in children. Findings from the interviews will be analysed over the coming months and will help identify key areas of change needed in order to improve access to child anxiety treatment.
To find out more about the I-CAT study, please contact:
Tessa Reardon t.c.reardon@pgr.reading.ac.uk