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

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.