What Do Parents Know and Perceive About Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Treatments?

Parents' knowledge, understanding and attitudes have a strong influence on treatment outcomes in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP). However, little is known about parents' knowledge, perceptions and awareness regarding assessment, intervention and treatment options in CAP.

We evaluated 1872 parents (1104 mothers [59.0%], 768 fathers [41.0%]) who were over 18 years of age and had at least one child between the ages of 0-18, regardless of whether their child had previously received CAP treatment, using a questionnaire containing 29 questions.

The most common misconceptions about CAP application records were that psychiatric records would cause difficulties in getting a job (92.6%) and would be obstacles to appointment to civil service (65.8%) and to getting driver's licence (34.8%). Regarding CAP drug treatments, the most frequently reported false beliefs were that psychiatric drugs cause weight gain (80.1%), are addictive (65.1%), cause long-lasting side effects (53.5%), numb the mind and cause drowsiness (52.7%), alter children's personalities (44.4%) and increase suicide risk (42.9%). Furthermore, 1105 (59.0%) participants answered 'Psychiatric disorders cannot be treated effectively even if psychiatric medications are used.'

Our results indicated that parents' knowledge level was inadequate, and their attitudes and beliefs were negative and limited regarding CAP and treatments; in turn, they avoided treatment and did not engage in help-seeking behaviours. This study shows an urgent need for mental health education programs to increase parents' awareness and understanding of CAP and promote appropriate access to services.