Parents’ experience and views on the assessment and treatment of children with OCD within the public mental health system in Iceland: a qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children can lead to long-lasting symptoms and access to evidence-based evaluation and treatment is crucial for its prevention. In Iceland, the law guarantees public access to the highest quality healthcare services. To date, no study has evaluated the services available for children with OCD within the national healthcare system (NMHS). This qualitative study explored the experiences of parents navigating the Icelandic NMHS for their children with OCD.

Method and materials

Seven parents who had sought services within the NMHS for their children diagnosed with OCD at private clinics were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The responses were analyzed using thematic framework analysis.

Results

Nineteen themes were identified, including three overarching themes and eight overarching sub-themes, and eight sub-themes within them. A prevalent theme was the giving up on the national mental healthcare system due to parents’ experiences of accessing mental healthcare for their children being challenging. Other issues faced by parents included a lack of knowledge on where to seek help, inadequate evaluation of the issue, and the lack of access to psychotherapy for their children. The healthcare workers’ responses and recommendations also resulted in parents seeking treatment at private clinics.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the need for clearer pathways for seeking help, improved access to trained healthcare workers, and a more centralized evaluation process. These insights can potentially guide future research and policy decisions to better support families dealing with childhood OCD in Iceland.

Keywords:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• national mental health service
• qualitative methodology

Disclosure statement

No conflicts were reported.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gudmundur Skarphedinsson

Gudmundur Skarphedinsson, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Sylvía Ósk Speight Kristínardóttir

Sylvía Ósk Speight Kristínardóttir, MSc., Clinical Psychologist at the EMDR clinic, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Sævar Már Gústavsson

Sævar Már Gústavsson, MSc., Clinical Psychologist and PhD fellow at the University of Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Jón Friðrik Sigurðsson

Jón Friðrik Sigurðsson, Phd, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Professor at the Department of Psychology at Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland and Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.