More children need psychological help than those who get it
(‘‘service gap’’). Since parents are those
who refer children for help, they are responsible for this gap. This study examined
the difference between the reported willingness of schoolchildren’s
mothers to seek help from a psychologist and from natural support systems for their
own child and to refer another mother for such help. Participants were 321 mothers
of 3rd- to 5th-grade children. Participants’ reported intentions to seek
help for their own child or to refer another’s child were evaluated
regarding a hypothetical externalisation or internalisation problem behaviour.
Mothers were more willing to refer another’s child than their own for
psychological help. Mothers of boys were more willing to refer their own or
another’s child for psychological help than mothers of girls. Mothers
tended to prefer natural support systems over professional help. Some relations were
found between emotional responses and socialisation strategies, and help-seeking intentions.
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