More than 150 people joined a NIHR webinar on Wednesday 13 March, which presented findings from a national research network focused on increasing access to parent-led cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Parent-led CBT is an evidence-based treatment for child anxiety problems. It teaches parenting strategies that parents/carers can use at home or in other settings to support their child. This treatment is now being disseminated across England in several formats and in diverse settings including schools. It is vital to collect evidence on these different approaches in order to better understand and address the factors that promote and impede positive outcomes.

The webinar was organised by the NIHR Mental Health Implementation Network, a national programme which aims to drive national collaborations and changes in mental health practice. The event brought together more than 150 participants, including parents and carers, commissioners, policymakers, clinicians and researchers interested in innovative approaches to tackling mental health problems experienced by children and young people in England. The webinar included:

Evidence from a service evaluation of parent-led CBT for anxiety in primary school children in Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, led by a team at ARC North West Coast.  

Evidence from Working on Worries, a project that is providing parent-led CBT through pastoral support workers in primary schools across Norfolk and Waveney, led by a team at ARC East of England. The event also featured parents who spoke about their experiences of being involved in parent-led CBT.

(image source ARC South London/MHIN)