Table 2.
Descriptive information of caregivers’ barriers to psychological care (n = 277)
| Barrier Item | Total Sample M (SD) |
% Who Agreed Somewhat to Stronglya |
|---|---|---|
| 1. My child may feel too ill and I do not want to leave his or her side to go to counseling sessions | 5.75 (2.58) | 82.3% |
| 2. Mental health services are offered at inconvenient times | 1.58 (2.36) | 22.4% |
| 3. I don’t have transportation | 1.03 (2.39) | 14.8% |
| 4. My time and energy are focused on my child’s treatment | 6.68 (1.94) | 92.8% |
| 5. Mental health services can be more upsetting than helpful | 1.94 (2.36) | 29.6% |
| 6. Mental health services are not relevant to dealing with my child’s medical treatment | 1.70 (2.37) | 22.4% |
| 7. I am uncomfortable seeking counseling | 1.41 (2.37) | 21.7% |
| 8. The location is inconvenient | 0.91 (2.14) | 13.0% |
| 9. I am too busy | 3.22 (3.03) | 49.1% |
| 10. I don’t know enough about it | 1.84 (2.57) | 27.4% |
| 11. I didn’t know it existed | 1.35 (2.57) | 20.2% |
| 12. I get all the support I need from other sources | 3.98 (2.95) | 59.2% |
| 13. My doctor/nurse/health care provider didn’t tell me about mental health services | 1.45 (2.59) | 19.9% |
| 14. I have never heard of cognitive behavior therapy | 3.04 (3.48) | 40.1% |
| 15. I have to wait too long to get an appointment for mental health services | 0.59 (1.65) | 7.6% |
| 16. I am concerned that my insurance company would not cover bills for mental health services | 1.92 (2.88) | 26.7% |
| 17. I would be too embarrassed to seek mental health services | 0.69 (1.72) | 7.9% |
Note.
a
Agreed somewhat to strongly was equivalent to a score of 4 to 8 (total scale 0 to 8).