<p>The families of individuals who experience mental health difficulties play a crucial role in help-seeking behaviours, particularly in collectivist contexts, where the explanatory models (EM) that some families hold on the aetiology of mental health have been reported to differ from those of western-trained mental health professionals. The discrepancy in EM between care-seekers and caregivers has been reported to impact the patient’s duration of untreated illness (DUI) by mental health professionals. This can have a significant impact on the identified patient’s well-being. This study explores how culturally shaped explanatory psychological and psychiatric distress models impact help-seeking behaviour among family caregivers in Oman. A cross-sectional, analytic study that recruited Omani relatives of individuals who attended Sultan Al Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) for the first episode of psychiatric complaints. Data collection spanned between November 2020 and April 2021, using tools that the researchers created after consulting local mental health professionals. A total of 116 participants were recruited. Half of the respondents endorsed more traditional and spiritual EM, and this perception influenced help-seeking behaviours (<i>p</i> = 0.0001), resulting in delays in accessing mental health services because of consultations with traditional healers first. The overall mean DUI by mental health services was (14.69 ± 15.72&#xa0;months). Sociodemographic factors, such as caregivers’ educational level (<i>p</i> = 0.023), were significantly associated with seeking help from traditional healers. To avoid excluding certain groups from psychological and psychiatric care, it is essential to consider families' cultural beliefs and practices. Mental health professionals should work with indigenous healers to create awareness programs that meet the community's needs.</p>