Development and evaluation of the Parenting to Reduce Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (PaRCADS): assessment of parental concordance with guidelines for the prevention of child anxiety and depression

Abstract

Background: Involving parents in the prevention of mental health problems in children is prudent given their fundamental role in supporting their child's development. However, few measures encapsulate the range of risk and protective factors for child anxiety and depression that parents can potentially modify. The Parenting to Reduce Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (PaRCADS) was developed as a criterion-referenced measure to assess parenting against a set of evidence-based parenting guidelines for the prevention of child anxiety and depressive disorders. Methods: In Study 1, 355 parents of children 8-11 years old across Australia completed the PaRCADS and measures of parenting, general fa..