Parent and child asthma illness representations: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sonney, Jennifer T; Gerald, Lynn B; Insel, Kathleen C

2016-06-01

The purpose of this article is to synthesize the current literature on parent and child asthma illness representations and their consequent impact on parent-child asthma shared management. This systematic review was conducted in concordance with the PRISMA statement. An electronic search of five computerized databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane, and EMBASE) was conducted using the following key words: asthma, illness representation, and child. Due to the limited number of articles identified, the search was broadened to include illness perceptions as well. Studies were included if they were specific to asthma and included parent and/or child asthma illness representations or perception, were published after 2000, and available in English. Fifteen articles were selected for inclusion. All of the articles are descriptive studies that used cross-sectional designs. Seven of the studies used parent and child participants, eight used parents only, and none used only child participants. None of the selected studies describe child asthma illness representations, and only three describe parental asthma illness representations. Domains of illness representations, including symptoms, timeline, consequences, cause, and controllability were described in the remaining articles. Symptoms and controllability appear to have the most influence on parental asthma management practices. Parents prefer symptomatic or intermittent asthma management and frequently cite concerns regarding daily controller medication use. Parents also primarily rely on their own objective symptom observations rather than the child's report of symptoms. Asthma illness representations are an important area of future study to better understand parent-child shared asthma management.

Peer Attachment, Perceived Parenting Style, Self-concept, and School Adjustments in Adolescents with Chronic Illness.

PubMed

Ahn, Jeong-Ah; Lee, Sunhee

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to identify how peer attachment and parenting style differentially affect self-concept and school adjustment in adolescents with and without chronic illness. A cross-sectional study using multiple group analysis on the Korean panel data was used. A nationwide stratified multistage cluster sampling method was used and the survey was conducted in 2013 on 2,092 first-year middle school students in Korea. We used standardized instruments by the National Youth Policy Institute to measure peer attachment, parenting style, self-concept, and school adjustment. Multiple-group structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the difference of relations for peer attachment, parenting style, self-concept, and school adjustment variable between adolescents with chronic illness and those without chronic illness. The model fit of a multiple-group structural equation modeling was good. The difference of the path from negative parenting style to self-concept between the two groups was significant, and a significant between-group difference in the overall path was found. This indicated that self-concept in adolescents with chronic illness was more negatively affected by negative parenting style than in adolescents without chronic illness. Healthcare providers can promote the process of school adjustment in several ways, such as discussing this issue directly with adolescent patients, along with their parents and peers, examining how the organization and content of the treatment can be modified according to the adolescents' school life. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The experience of Chinese American parents of children with life-limiting illness: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Wang, Jinjiao; Kearney, Joan A

2013-07-01

Life-limiting childhood illness is a traumatic experience presenting parents with psychological, physical, and social challenges. While cultural influences affect all parents coping with the life-limiting illness and end-of-life period of their child, little is known about the experiences of Chinese American parents. The purpose of this comprehensive literature review was to describe Chinese American parents' experiences during their children's end-of-life period from a culturally informed perspective. Important themes in the literature are revealed including culture-based phenomena regarding philosophy of life and illness that can affect treatment choices, cultural mores that influence parental behaviour in Western health-care systems, specific communication patterns within families and between families and providers, certain coping risks, and gender-based roles and caregiving activities that have implications for provider communication patterns. The findings are consonant with the larger literature regarding the impact of traditional culture and values on Chinese family and health behaviours. Health professionals must be sensitive to Chinese American parents' communication styles, unspoken concerns, and unresolved cultural conflicts in American health-care settings. Educational interventions may be very helpful in this regard.

Single parents of children with chronic illness: an understudied phenomenon.

PubMed

Brown, Ronald T; Wiener, Lori; Kupst, Mary Jo; Brennan, Tara; Behrman, Richard; Compas, Bruce E; David Elkin, T; Fairclough, Diane L; Friebert, Sarah; Katz, Ernest; Kazak, Anne E; Madan-Swain, Avi; Mansfield, Nancy; Mullins, Larry L; Noll, Robert; Patenaude, Andrea Farkas; Phipps, Sean; Sahler, O J; Sourkes, Barbara; Zeltzer, Lonnie

2008-05-01

To examine the chronic illness literature and evaluate the impact on single parenting and children and adolescents with chronic illness. We conducted literature reviews of relevant research pertaining to single-parent families on PubMed, Medline, and PsychINFO and also surveyed pertinent book chapters and all of the articles from the Journal of Pediatric Psychology since 1987 for articles, specifically examining the potential associations of single (lone) parenting versus two-parent households on children's psychosocial functioning and the impact of the child's illness on caregiver functioning. While the literature has examined and discussed the stressors associated with parenting a child with an illness, including the impact of illness on finances, family roles, and caregiver burden, few studies have examined single parents of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses and related stressors stemming from being a lone caregiver. There is a dearth of studies examining the association between lone parenting and psychosocial functioning among children and adolescents with chronic illnesses. Specific questions necessitating future investigation are summarized and recommendations are made for future research in this important area of inquiry.

Coping and resilience of children of a mentally ill parent.

PubMed

Pölkki, Pirjo; Ervast, Sari-Anne; Huupponen, Marika

2004-01-01

This paper examines the needs and stress reactions of children of mentally ill parents, as well as coping and resilience. The study is based on the interviews of six 9-11 years old children and narratives of seventeen female grown up children of mentally ill parents. The younger and older children of the mentally ill parents had not been informed about their parent's illness. The illness of the parent aroused a variety of emotions in them. The children used both practical problem solving and emotional coping mechanisms. Informal social support was available to them but seldom from the public services. It is recommended that professionals in mental health and child welfare services clarify their roles when working with mentally ill parents. The best interest of the child and the parenting they need should be carefully assessed. Open care measures should be offered to families early enough to prevent serious child welfare and mental problems.

Parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress: a cross-illness comparison.

PubMed

Hullmann, Stephanie E; Wolfe-Christensen, Cortney; Ryan, Jamie L; Fedele, David A; Rambo, Philip L; Chaney, John M; Mullins, Larry L

2010-12-01

The current study sought to investigate differences in parenting capacity variables across four disease groups. Parents (N = 425), the majority of whom were mothers, of children with either cancer, asthma, Type 1 diabetes, or cystic fibrosis, completed measures of parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress. After controlling for significant demographic variables, parents of children with cystic fibrosis and asthma reported higher perceived child vulnerability than parents of children with either diabetes or cancer, while parents of children with asthma and diabetes reported higher parenting stress than parents of children with cancer or cystic fibrosis. No differences between disease groups were found for parental overprotection. The current study provides support for an illness-specific approach to understanding parenting capacity variables in the context of childhood chronic illnesses.

[Do Attachment Styles of Mentally Ill Parents Impact on the Health-related Quality of Life of their Children?].

PubMed

Wiegand-Grefe, Silke; Bomba, Franziska; Tönnies, Sven; Bullinger, Monika; Plass, Angela

2016-01-01

Do Attachment Styles of Mentally Ill Parents Impact on the Health-related Quality of Life of their Children? Parents with a mental disorder often display a problematic attachment style which may impact on their children's health related quality of life (HrQoL). The current study cross-sectionally examines attachment styles (BEPE) in mentally ill parents with underage children (n = 62) and the effect of attachment on their children's HrQoL (KINDL-R). Results show that secure attachment is less represented in parents with a mental health condition than in a healthy reference group. Within the clinical sample, children of mentally ill parents with a secure attachment style exhibit a higher HrQoL than children of mentally ill parents with ambivalent or avoidant attachment styles. These findings indicate not only that problematic attachment styles frequently occur in families with a mentally ill parent, but also suggest that this negatively affects the children's HrQoL. Appropriate interventions should include attachment oriented concepts.

Regoaling: a conceptual model of how parents of children with serious illness change medical care goals

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Parents of seriously ill children participate in making difficult medical decisions for their child. In some cases, parents face situations where their initial goals, such as curing the condition, may have become exceedingly unlikely. While some parents continue to pursue these goals, others relinquish their initial goals and generate new goals such as maintaining the child’s quality of life. We call this process of transitioning from one set of goals to another regoaling. Discussion Regoaling involves factors that either promote or inhibit the regoaling process, including disengagement from goals, reengagement in new goals, positive and negative affect, and hopeful thinking. We examine these factors in the context of parental decision making for a seriously ill child, presenting a dynamic conceptual model of regoaling. This model highlights four research questions that will be empirically tested in an ongoing longitudinal study of medical decision making among parents of children with serious illness. Additionally, we consider potential clinical implications of regoaling for the practice of pediatric palliative care. Summary The psychosocial model of regoaling by parents of children with a serious illness predicts that parents who experience both positive and negative affect and hopeful patterns of thought will be more likely to relinquish one set of goals and pursue a new set of goals. A greater understanding of how parents undergo this transition may enable clinicians to better support them through this difficult process. PMID:24625345

Parent Preferences for Shared Decision-making in Acute Versus Chronic Illness.

PubMed

Tom, Dina M; Aquino, Christian; Arredondo, Anthony R; Foster, Byron A

2017-10-01

The goal of this study was to examine preferences for shared decision-making (SDM) in parents of acutely ill versus chronically ill children in the inpatient setting. Additionally, we explored the effect of parental perception of illness severity and uncertainty in illness on decision-making preference. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed parents of children admitted to pediatric inpatient units at an academic, tertiary-care hospital. Surveys were administered in person and used validated tools to assess SDM preferences and uncertainty in illness. Descriptive statistics evaluated associations stratified by acute versus chronic illness, and multivariable analyses were performed. Of the 200 parents who participated, the majority were women (78%), Hispanic (81.5%), English speaking (73%), between 30 and 39 years old (37.5%), and had an education achievement of less than a college degree (77%). The mean age of hospitalized children was 8.1 years, and half reported a chronic illness. Most parents preferred an active (43%) or collaborative (40%) role in SDM. There was no association with SDM preference by demographics, number of previous hospitalizations, perception of illness severity, or uncertainty. However, parents of chronically ill children significantly preferred a passive role in SDM when they perceived a high level of uncertainty in illness. Most parents of hospitalized children prefer to take an active or collaborative role in SDM. However, parents of chronically ill children who perceive high levels of uncertainty surrounding their children's illness prefer a passive role, thus illustrating the complexity in decision-making among this parent population. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ill and substance-abusing parents: how can the general practitioner help their children? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Gullbrå, Frøydis; Smith-Sivertsen, Tone; Rortveit, Guri; Anderssen, Norman; Hafting, Marit

2016-11-08

Severe illness among parents may interfere with their parenting. Children having ill or substance-abusing parents are at risk of own health problems and psychosocial difficulties. The health care system should identify families in need of help and provide the help needed. For ill parents, it can be difficult to seek help and advices for their parenting. The aim of this study was to identify important factors for the general practitioner (GP) to bear in mind during encounters with ill and substance-abusing parents, to enable the GP to provide appropriate support for the children. A qualitative approach was chosen and the data material was semi-structured individual interviews with 12 parents with mental illness, substance abuse or severe somatic illness. The participants were recruited through GPs in Norway, and the interviews were performed in 2014. We used systematic text condensation for analysis. It was important for the participants that the GP was oriented about their family and children's situation. They wanted to be regarded as competent parents in ordinary families; however, they were aware that their illness affected their parenting. They expressed a need for advice about how to inform the children of their illness and talk to them about their challenges, and, if necessary, utilize helpers who could inform the children and talk to them directly. There were often many agencies involved, and it was important that the helpers cooperated and shared information. In addition, the parents were in need of information about support services. Ill parents in this study conveyed a double message to their helpers. They wanted to be considered as responsible and well-intended parents who wished the best for their children. At the same time they needed support in parenting. The GP should take the time to listen to the parents' first spontaneous description about an ordinary daily life (while realising that it may not necessarily be an accurate report), then explore their

The Silent Parent: Developing Knowledge about the Experiences of Parents with Mental Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boursnell, Melanie

2007-01-01

This paper explores the lived experiences of parents with mental illness in Australia. It draws on in-depth interviews with parents (n = 10) who have mental illness and provides an analysis of national mental health policies. The analysis of the parents' narratives is essential in building a picture for those involved in the issues associated with…

The forum as a friend: parental mental illness and communication on open Internet forums.

PubMed

Widemalm, My; Hjärthag, Fredrik

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to identify how daughters or sons to parents suffering from mental illness perceive their situation. The objective was to provide new knowledge based on what they communicate on open Internet forums. The sample consisted of forum posts written by individuals who reported that they had mentally ill parents. Data collection comprised 301 comments from 35 forum threads on 5 different Swedish Internet forums, and predetermined inclusion criteria were used. Data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The analysis generated four themes: "Caregiver burden," "Knowledge seeking," "Support from the forum," and "Frustration and powerlessness over health care." The results showed that parents' mental illness affected the forum writers on several levels, and they often felt stigmatized. The writers often lacked knowledge of their parents' mental illness and sought out Internet forums for information and support from peers in similar situations. The psychiatric care given to the parents was a source of dissatisfaction among the forum writers, who often felt that their parents did not receive adequate care. This study shows that fear of stigmatization and perceived lack of care and support caused forum writers to anonymously seek out Internet forums for information and support from others with similar experiences. The role of social support and the attractiveness of anonymity and availability typical for open Internet forums ought to be considered by health care professionals and researchers when developing new ways for providing support for children or adolescents with a mentally ill parent.

Group treatment for parents of the adult mentally ill.

PubMed

McLean, C S; Greer, K; Scott, J; Beck, J C

1982-07-01

Support and education groups for the families of the mentally ill have been in existence for at least 20 years. The authors describe a group treatment program established in 1979 for parents of chronically mentally ill individuals living in the community. The goal was to help parents become less overprotective, critical, and hostile so that clients would relapse less frequently and improve their social functioning during their time in the community. The groups provided parents with information and support. Some of the results of the groups include the implementation of new hospital procedures, more effective parenting, and a parent-initiated alliance on behalf of the mentally ill in the locality.

Care burden of parents of adult children with mental illness: The role of associative stigma.

PubMed

Park, Keunwoo; Seo, Mikyung

2016-10-01

Parents of offspring with mental illness must endure endless child care burden despite their old age, and must cope with associative stigma. This study analyzed the mediator effect of associative stigma on relationships between the main stressors, psychiatric symptoms and lowered social function of offspring with mental illness, assessed by the parents, and their care burden. 215 parents caring for an adult child with mental illness in Korea were surveyed (Mage=60.68, SD=13.58; 74.4% mothers). They were asked to assess the psychiatric symptoms and social function of their offspring, the stigma they experienced, and the objective/subjective care burdens they felt. Our findings suggest that the symptoms and function of offspring directly affect the care burden of parents, but also have an indirect effect mediated by associative stigma. Among the predictor variables, symptoms have a greater effect on the subjective/objective burden and associative stigma than social function. We suggest strategies for parents to overcome associative stigma and emphasize the professional endeavor required to meet the service needs of elderly parents taking care of an adult child with mental illness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insight into mental illness, self-stigma, and the family burden of parents of persons with a severe mental illness.

PubMed

Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Levy, Itamar; Kravetz, Shlomo; Vollanski-Narkis, Adi; Roe, David

2011-01-01

Parents of persons with severe mental illness (SMI) often experience burden due to the illness of their daughter or son. In the present study, the possibility that parents' self-stigma moderates the relationship between the parents' insight into a daughter's or son's illness and the parents' sense of burden was investigated. Levels of insight into a daughter's or son's mental illness, parent self-stigma, and parent burden of 127 parents of persons with an SMI were assessed. Regression analysis was used to test the putative moderating role of parents' self-stigma. Self-stigma was found to mediate rather than moderate the relationship between insight and burden. Accordingly, parent insight into the mental illness of a daughter or son appears to increase parent burden because it increases parent self-stigma. The implications of these findings for practice, theory, and future research are discussed. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The needs of mentally ill parents--a review of the literature].

PubMed

Howard, Louise M; Underdown, Helen

2011-01-01

Approximately 10 % of women and 6 % of men who become parents will experience mental health problems and a significant proportion of these have a severe psychiatric illness. This paper provides a literature review of the needs of parents with severe mental illness. Literature review. Mothers with severe mental illness have a wide range of complex health and social care needs in addition to their parenting needs, which must be addressed by services in pregnancy and postpartum to optimise outcomes. There is limited evidence on the needs of fathers with severe mental illness but they may have a greater number of needs than women, and a greater need for training in parenting skills than women suffering from severe mental illness. Parents with severe mental illness may experience stigma and discrimination, and fear accessing services due to fears of losing custody of their child. Although a significant proportion of parents with severe mental illness do lose custody, many can successfully parent if adequate support is available and needs are assessed and managed by a multi-disciplinary team. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Vulnerable Children of Mentally Ill Parents: Towards Evidence-Based Support for Improving Resilience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretis, Manfred; Dimova, Aleksandra

2008-01-01

The increasing prevalence of mental illness among parents always represents a stressor affecting the biopsychosocial development of a child. However, due to varying inherent resilience factors, not all children are affected to the same extent. The presence of evidence-based resilience factors is able to minimise or prevent the adverse effects…

[A cooperative project in the district of Mettmann: preventive assistance for mentally ill parents and their children].

PubMed

Hipp, Michael; Schatte, Dirk; Altrogge, Birgit

2010-01-01

Mentally ill parents are impaired in their ability to care for their children. To support the affected families from the perspective of the parents and the children alike a close cooperation between the institutions of psychiatry and child-welfare is of utmost importance. In the district of Mettmann a cooperation agreement was concluded to realize a cross-system concept to care for the families with mentally ill parents. To prevent children from developing psychiatric disorders the taboo of the psychiatric diseases has to be overcome, an early diagnostic clarification to be reached, and multiinstitutional help to be implemented. In the article the experience in dealing with the affected families in a multidisciplinary context is described.

Children of mentally ill parents-a pilot study of a group intervention program.

PubMed

Christiansen, Hanna; Anding, Jana; Schrott, Bastian; Röhrle, Bernd

2015-01-01

The transgenerational transmission of mental disorders is one of the most prominent risk factors for the development of psychological disorders. Children of mentally ill parents are a vulnerable high risk group with overall impaired development and high rates of psychological disorders. To date there are only a few evidence based intervention programs for this group overall and hardly any in Germany. We translated the evidence based Family Talk Intervention by Beardslee (2009) and adapted it for groups. First results of this pilot study are presented. This investigation evaluates a preventive group intervention for children of mentally ill parents. In a quasi-experimental design three groups are compared: an intervention group (Family Talk Intervention group: n = 28), a Wait Control group (n = 9), and a control group of healthy children (n = 40). Mean age of children was 10.41 years and parental disorders were mostly depressive/affective disorders (n = 30), but a small number also presented with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (n = 7). Children of mentally ill parents showed higher rates of internalizing/externalizing disorders before and after the intervention compared to children of parents with no disorders. Post intervention children's knowledge on mental disorders was significantly enhanced in the Family Talk Intervention group compared to the Wait Control group and the healthy control group. Parental ratings of externalizing symptoms in the children were reduced to normal levels after the intervention in the Family Talk Intervention group, but not in the Wait Control group. This pilot study of a group intervention for children of mentally ill parents highlights the importance of psycho-education on parental mental disorders for children. Long-term effects of children's enhanced knowledge about parental psychopathology need to be explored in future studies.

Illness cognitions and family adjustment: psychometric properties of the Illness Cognition Questionnaire for parents of a child with cancer.

PubMed

Sint Nicolaas, Simone M; Schepers, Sasja A; van den Bergh, Esther M M; Evers, Andrea W M; Hoogerbrugge, Peter M; Grootenhuis, Martha A; Verhaak, Christianne M

2016-02-01

Illness cognitions are an important mediator between disease and psychological adjustment. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Illness Cognition Questionnaire (ICQ), adjusted for the parents of an ill child. Participants were recruited from two multicenter studies: sample 1 included 128 parents of a child diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (response rate 82 %) and sample 2 included 114 parents of a child diagnosed with cancer (response rate 74 %). Parents completed an adapted version of the ICQ (Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent version (ICQ-P)), together with the Profile of Mood States (POMS; sample 1) or the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; sample 2). The factor structure of the ICQ-P was examined by means of principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha for each subscale and correlations between the ICQ-P scales and the HADS and POMS were calculated. The illness cognitions of parents with and without psychological distress were compared. Factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized structure of the ICQ-P in our sample (n = 242). The three scales Helplessness, Acceptance, and Perceived Benefits explained 9.8, 31.4, and 17.9 % of the variance, respectively. Cronbach's alpha showed adequate internal consistency (.80-.88). Concurrent and criterion-related validity were appropriate. The results confirm that the ICQ-P reliably assesses the illness cognitions of the parents of a child with cancer. Psychologically distressed parents showed less acceptance and more helplessness. The availability of a short and valid illness cognition questionnaire will help clinicians gain insight into parental cognitions regarding the illness of their child, information that might be helpful for targeting interventions.

Changes in Parental Hopes for Seriously Ill Children.

PubMed

Hill, Douglas L; Nathanson, Pamela G; Carroll, Karen W; Schall, Theodore E; Miller, Victoria A; Feudtner, Chris

2018-04-01

Hopes of parents of children with serious illness play an important role in decision-making and coping. Little is known about how parent hopes change over time. We describe the changes in parent hopes across multiple domains and time intervals, examine hopes in a subgroup of parents whose child died, and explore the maintenance of domains over time. In a mixed-methods prospective cohort study on decision-making, parents of seriously ill children reported demographic characteristics and hopes at baseline and reported any changes in hopes at 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-month follow-up visits. Hopes were coded into 9 domains. Hope changes and domain changes were identified for each parent at each visit. One hundred and ninety-nine parents of 158 patients most often reported hopes in the domains of quality of life (75%), physical body (69%), future well-being (47%), and medical care (34%). Hope percentages increased over time for quality of life (84%), future well-being (64%), and broader meaning (21%). The hope domains reported by parents of children who died were similar to the rest of the sample. The majority of parents who completed 5 to 6 follow-up visits changed at least 1 domain. At the individual parent level, some domains revealed considerable change over time, whereas other domains were stable among a subset of parents. The specific hopes and overall areas of hope of parents of seriously ill children vary over time, although most hopes fall within 4 major areas. Accordingly, clinicians should regularly check with parents about their current hopes. Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Children's experiences of living with a parent with mental illness: A systematic review of qualitative studies using thematic analysis.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Rumi; Keogh, Brian

2018-03-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE SUBJECT?: There are many qualitative studies that explore what it is like for children who live with a parent who has a mental illness. These studies are sometimes criticized because they have small sample sizes which limits their application. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative papers with an aim to strengthening our understanding of what it is like for children who live with a parent who has a mental illness. We used stringent criteria to make sure that only the voices of children affected by parental mental illness were included in the review. In addition, the paper presents a timely update on previous reviews completed in this area. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings of this review highlight the impact that parental mental illness has on children and the important role that mental health nurses can play in maximizing opportunities for building resilience in affected children. Mental health nurses are in a key position to provide timely and age-appropriate information and support to both parents and children to assist in the development of appropriate coping and support mechanisms. Introduction This paper brings together what is known about what it is like for children who live with a parent with a mental illness with a view to strengthening our understanding of their experiences. This paper presents an update on previous reviews that were completed in this area and used a systematic approach and stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria to ensure that the voices of children were central in the included papers. A systematic review of this nature could not be located in the literature. Aims This paper presents the findings of a systematic review which explored the experiences of children who were affected by parental mental illness. Methods CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO, Pubmesh and EMBASE were searched for qualitative studies which explored children's experiences, and

Parenting stress among caregivers of children with chronic illness: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cousino, Melissa K; Hazen, Rebecca A

2013-09-01

To critically review, analyze, and synthesize the literature on parenting stress among caregivers of children with asthma, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and/or sickle cell disease. Method PsychInfo, MEDLINE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched according to inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of 13 studies and qualitative analysis of 96 studies was conducted. Results Caregivers of children with chronic illness reported significantly greater general parenting stress than caregivers of healthy children (d = .40; p = ≤.0001). Qualitative analysis revealed that greater general parenting stress was associated with greater parental responsibility for treatment management and was unrelated to illness duration and severity across illness populations. Greater parenting stress was associated with poorer psychological adjustment in caregivers and children with chronic illness. Conclusion Parenting stress is an important target for future intervention. General and illness-specific measures of parenting stress should be used in future studies.

The economic status of parents with serious mental illness in the United States.

PubMed

Luciano, Alison; Nicholson, Joanne; Meara, Ellen

2014-09-01

Parents with serious mental illness may be vulnerable to financial insecurity, making successful parenting especially difficult. We explored relationships among parenting, serious mental illness, and economic status in a nationally representative sample. The sample included all working-age participants from the 2009 and 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (n = 77,326). Two well-established scales of mental health distinguished participants with none, mild, moderate, and serious mental illness. We compared economic status by parenthood status and mental illness severity. Rates of employment were low for parents with serious mental illness (38% full time and 17% part time among mothers; 60% full time and 9% part time among fathers) compared with parents with no mental illness (50% full time and 19% part time among mothers; 85% full time and 5% part time among fathers). Mothers and fathers with serious mental illness were twice as likely to fall below the U.S. Census poverty threshold as their peers without mental illness. Parents with serious mental illness are less likely to be employed than those without mental illnesses, and are highly likely to be living in poverty. Reducing poverty by helping parents with serious mental illness achieve better jobs and education is likely to translate into family stability and better outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategies for parenting by mothers and fathers with a mental illness.

PubMed

van der Ende, P C; van Busschbach, J T; Nicholson, J; Korevaar, E L; van Weeghel, J

2016-03-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The combination of coping with their mental health problems and caring for children makes parents vulnerable. Family-centred practice can help to maintain and strengthen important family relationships, and to identify and enhance the strengths of a parent with a mental illness, all contributing to the recovery of the person with the mental illness. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Taking the strength and the opportunities formulated by parents themselves as a starting point is fairly new. Parents with severe mental illness find strength for parenting in several ways. They feel responsible, and this helps them to stay alert while parenting, whereas parenthood also offers a basis for social participation through school contacts and the child's friendships. Dedication to the parent role provides a focus; parents develop strengths and skills as they find a balance between attending to their own lives and caring for their children; and parenting prompts them to find adequate sources of social support. In this study these strategies were found to be the fundamentals of recovery related to parenting. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Nurses can support and coach patients who are identified as parents, and self-chosen parenting related goals are set and addressed. A family-focused approach by nurses can be used to prevent problems for children and their families, identify their strengths as well as vulnerabilities, and address the challenges to build resilience. Understanding of the problems of parents with mental illness is growing. Gaining insight into strategies for parenting, while taking the opportunities formulated by these parents themselves as a starting point is fairly new. What are the strategies of parents with a mental illness to be successful? Experiences of 19 mothers and eight fathers with a mental illness were explored with in-depth interviews. Data were content analysed, using qualitative methods. Next

The impact of the parental illness representation on disease management in childhood asthma.

PubMed

Yoos, H Lorrie; Kitzman, Harriet; Henderson, Charles; McMullen, Ann; Sidora-Arcoleo, Kimberly; Halterman, Jill S; Anson, Elizabeth

2007-01-01

Despite significant advances in treatment modalities, morbidity due to childhood asthma has continued to increase, particularly for poor and minority children. To describe the parental illness representation of asthma in juxtaposition to the professional model of asthma and to evaluate the impact of that illness representation on the adequacy of the child's medication regimen. Parents (n = 228) of children with asthma were interviewed regarding illness beliefs using a semistructured interview. The impact of background characteristics, parental beliefs, the child's symptom interpretation, and the parent-healthcare provider (HCP) relationship on the adequacy of the child's medication regimen were evaluated. The parental and professional models of asthma differ markedly. Demographic risk factors (p = .005), low parental education (p < .0001), inaccurate symptom evaluation by the child (p = .02), and a poor parent-HCP relationship (p < .0001) had a negative effect on the parental illness representation. A parental illness representation concordant with the professional model of asthma (p = .05) and more formal asthma education (p = .02) had a direct positive effect on the medication regimen. Demographic risk factors (p = .006) and informal advice-seeking (p = .0003) had a negative impact on the regimen. The parental illness representation mediated the impact of demographic risk factors (p = .10), parental education (p =.07), and the parent-HCP relationship (p = .06) on the regimen. Parents and HCPs may come to the clinical encounter with markedly different illness representations. Establishing a partnership with parents by eliciting and acknowledging parental beliefs is an important component of improving disease management.

The relationship of parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress to uncertainty in youth with chronic illness.

PubMed

Mullins, Larry L; Wolfe-Christensen, Cortney; Pai, Ahna L Hoff; Carpentier, Melissa Y; Gillaspy, Stephen; Cheek, Jeff; Page, Melanie

2007-09-01

To examine the relationship of parent-reported overprotection (OP), perceived child vulnerability (PCV), and parenting stress (PS) to youth-reported illness uncertainty, and to explore potential developmental differences. Eighty-two children and 82 adolescents (n = 164) diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) or asthma, completed a measure of illness uncertainty, while their parents completed measures of OP, PCV, and PS. After controlling for demographic and illness parameters, both PCV and PS significantly predicted youth illness uncertainty in the combined sample. Within the child group, only PS significantly predicted illness uncertainty, whereas only PCV significantly predicted uncertainty for adolescents. Specific parenting variables are associated with youth-reported illness uncertainty; however, their relationship varies according to developmental level. Although OP has been identified as a predictor of child psychological outcomes in other studies, it does not appear to be associated with illness uncertainty in youth with DM1 or asthma.

Families living with parental mental illness and their experiences of family interventions.

PubMed

Afzelius, M; Plantin, L; Östman, M

2018-03-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Coping with parental mental illness in families can be challenging for both children and parents. Providing evidence-based family interventions to families where a parent has a mental illness can enhance the relationships in the family. Although psychiatric research has shown that evidence-based family interventions may improve the communication and understanding of parental mental illness, there is a lack in this area of research from an everyday clinical context. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Our study reinforces the fact that parents with mental illnesses are searching for support from psychiatric services in order to talk to their children about their illness. The finding that under-age children comply when they are told by their parents to join an intervention in psychiatric services supporting the family is something not observed earlier in research. This study once more illuminates the fact that partners of a person with parental mental illness are seldom, in an obvious way, included in family support interventions. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Psychiatric services, and especially mental health nurses, have an important task in providing families with parental mental illness with support concerning communication with their children and in including the "healthy" partner in family support interventions. Introduction Although research has shown that evidence-based family interventions in research settings improve the communication and understanding of parental mental illness, there is a lack of knowledge about interventions in an everyday clinical context. Aim This study explores how families with parental mental illness experience family interventions in a natural clinical context in psychiatric services. Method Five families with children aged 10-12 were recruited from psychiatric services in southern Sweden and interviewed in a manner inspired by naturalistic inquiry and content analysis. Both

Children's experiences of parental mental illness: a literature review.

PubMed

Gladstone, Brenda M; Boydell, Katherine M; Seeman, Mary V; McKeever, Patricia D

2011-11-01

This paper provides a review of published qualitative research on children's experiences of parental mental illness. We undertook a comprehensive search of Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Sociological Abstracts and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts databases, as well as citation searches in Web of Science and manual searches of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary papers. Although 20 studies met the search criteria, only 10 focused exclusively on children's descriptions of their experience--the remainder elicited adults' perspectives on children's experiences of parental mental illnesses. Findings are organized under three themes: the impact of illness on children's daily life, how children cope with their experiences and how children understand mental illness. Despite references to pervasive knowledge gaps in the literature, significant information has been accumulated about children's experiences of parental mental illness. Considerable variability in research findings and tensions remain unresolved. For example, evidence is mixed as to children's knowledge and understanding of mental illnesses and how best to deploy resources to help them acquire optimal information. Furthermore, children's desire to be recognized as important to their parents' well-being conflicted with adults' perceptions that children should be protected from too much responsibility. Nevertheless, the cumulative evidence remains a key reason for advocating for psychoeducation and peer-support group interventions for children, which are endorsed by child and adult study participants alike. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

[Characteristics of interactions between mentally ill parents and their young children].

PubMed

Deneke, Christiane; Lüders, Bettina

2003-03-01

Disturbed parent infant interactions are frequently seen in cases of parental mental illness. They are indicating possible risks of the infant's development. Regular and illness-specific patterns are not found. Therefore the interaction has to be observed and classified in each individual case to recognize the relevance of the parental illness to the child. Different interaction patterns and their impact on the child's development are described and illustrated by case vignettes. The importance of preventive intervention is highlighted.

Variation in the spillover effects of illness on parents, spouses, and children of the chronically ill.

PubMed

Lavelle, Tara A; Wittenberg, Eve; Lamarand, Kara; Prosser, Lisa A

2014-04-01

Given the broad scope of the spillover effects of illness, it is important to characterize the variability in these outcomes to identify relationship types in which secondary impacts of illness are particularly important to include in health economic evaluations. To examine heterogeneity in spillover effects of chronic conditions on family members by type of familial relationship with patient. Adults (aged ≥18 years) and adolescents (aged 13-17 years) who had a parent, spouse, or child in their household with a chronic condition (Alzheimer's disease/dementia, arthritis, cancer, or depression) were recruited from a US national panel to participate in an on-line survey. Respondents were asked to rate the spillover effect of their family member's illness on their own health on a 0-100 scale, with lower scores indicating greater spillover. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between rating scale scores and relationship with an ill family member (ill parent, child, or spouse) for each illness separately, controlling for caregiving responsibility and the health status of the ill family member. 1,267 adults and 102 adolescents met inclusion criteria. In adjusted analyses, having a sick child was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with lower rating scale scores compared with having a spouse with the same condition (cancer: -24.2; depression -9.7). Having a non-elderly or elderly adult parent with a condition, compared with a spouse, was significantly associated with lower rating scale scores for arthritis (-3.8) and depression (-5.3), but not for Alzheimer's disease/dementia or cancer. The impact of illness on family members, measured with a rating scale, varies by relationship type for certain illnesses. Having a child with cancer, a parent with arthritis, or either with depression, is significantly associated with greater spillover, compared with having a spouse with one of these conditions.

Variation in the spillover effects of illness on parents, spouses and children of the chronically ill

PubMed Central

Lavelle, Tara A.; Wittenberg, Eve; Lamarand, Kara; Prosser, Lisa A.

2015-01-01

Background Given the broad scope of the spillover effects of illness, it is important to characterize the variability in these outcomes in order to identify relationship types in which secondary impacts of illness are particularly important to include in health economic evaluations. Purpose To examine heterogeneity in spillover effects of chronic conditions on family members by type of familial relationship with patient. Methods Adults (≥18 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) who had a parent, spouse or child in their household with a chronic condition (including Alzheimer's disease/dementia, arthritis, cancer and depression) were recruited from a U.S. national panel to participate in an on-line survey. Respondents were asked to rate the spillover effect of their family member's illness on their own health on a 0-100 scale, with lower scores indicating greater spillover. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between rating scale scores and relationship with ill family member (ill parent, child, or spouse) for each illness separately, controlling for caregiving responsibility and the health status of the ill family member. Results 1267 adults and 102 adolescents met inclusion criteria. In adjusted analyses, having a sick child was significantly (p<0.05) associated with lower rating scale scores compared to having a spouse with the same condition (cancer: -24.2; depression -9.7). Having a non-elderly or elderly adult parent with a condition, compared to a spouse, was significantly associated with lower rating scale scores for arthritis (-3.8) and depression (-5.3), but not for Alzheimer's disease/dementia or cancer. Conclusions The impact of illness on family members, measured with a rating scale, varies by relationship type for certain illnesses. Having a child with cancer, a parent with arthritis, or either with depression, is significantly associated with greater spillover, compared to having a spouse with one of these conditions. PMID

["Nicht von schlechten Eltern - NischE": A Family Orientated Collaborative Care Approach to Support Children in Families with Mentally Ill Parents].

PubMed

Wabnitz, Pascal; Kronmüller, Klaus-Thomas; Wieskus-Friedemann, Erwin; Kliem, Sabine; Hoppmann, Johannes; Burek, Monika; Löhr, Michael; Kemper, Ulrich; Nienaber, André

2016-11-01

"Nicht von schlechten Eltern - NischE": A Family Orientated Collaborative Care Approach to Support Children in Families with Mentally Ill Parents The present work describes the setting- and multi-professional offer "NischE" in Gütersloh, a systemic approach for the care of children and their mentally ill parents. Children of mentally ill parents are a special risk group for developing their own mental illness. The aim of the collaborative care model between child and adolescent psychiatry, youth services and adult psychiatry is to enable affected families in terms of family-focused practice a low threshold access to different services. For this purpose, two positions have been created to advise the affected families and support access to the help system in the sense of a systemic case management in a project. The article describes the background and the need for the development of the offer, the current scientific knowledge base on the subject and illustrates the procedure using a case study from practice.

Maternal interaction style in affective disordered, physically ill, and normal women.

PubMed

Hamilton, E B; Jones, M; Hammen, C

1993-09-01

Affective style (AS) and communication deviance (CD) have been suggested as markers of dysfunctional family environments that may be associated with psychiatric illness. Studies have focused mainly on parental responses during family interactions when an offspring is the identified patient. The present study is unique in examining AS and CD in mothers with unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, or chronic physical illness, and in normal controls. The sample consisted of 64 mothers with children ages 8 to 16. Unipolar mothers were more likely to show negative AS than were any other maternal group. There were no group differences for CD. Chronic stress, few positive life events, and single parenting were associated with AS. CD was associated solely with lower socioeconomic status. Results suggest that dysfunctional interactions are determined not only by maternal psychopathology, but also by an array of contextual factors that are related to the quality of the family environment.

Utilizing role theory to help employed parents cope with children's chronic illness.

PubMed

Major, Debra A

2003-02-01

Role theory is utilized to detail a six-step process for developing balanced coping through role negotiation. As applied in this paper, the role theory framework provides health educators with a useful tool for helping employed parents cope with a child's chronic illness. The emphasis is on partnering with parents or primary caregivers to identify, understand and manage the multiple role demands of working parents with chronically ill children. Role theory suggests ways health educators can support balanced coping by educating families about the demands of a child's illness, and helping to reduce those demands, helping to increase family resources, supporting parents and facilitating role negotiation. The ultimate goal is the development of balanced coping strategies that (1) meet the medical and emotional needs of the ill child, (2) allow parents to maintain their physical and mental health, and (3) enable parents to meet the demands of their other roles (e.g. paid employment).

Defining "peerness": Developing peer supports for parents with mental illnesses.

PubMed

Nicholson, Joanne; Valentine, Anne

2018-06-01

This article addresses critical considerations in the development of peer supports for parents with mental illnesses, focusing on the question of what makes a peer a peer in the parent peer specialist domain. The implementation and testing of parent peer supports requires specification of the critical components of the model, including the qualities, characteristics, and unique contributions of the parent peer specialist. Themes emerged in Parent Peer Specialist Project Advisory Group discussions, with members drawing from lived experience, practice expertise, and conversations with experts. In addition to literature review, strategic stakeholder interviews were conducted. Lived experience of mental illness and family life, training, and ongoing support for parent peer specialists, along with key ingredients conveyed by perceived peer-parent similarity, will likely enhance the benefits of peer supports to parents and promote job satisfaction and career advancement for parent peer specialists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of Parental Severe Mental Illness: Ethical and Clinical Issues for Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiegelhoff, Sarah F.; Ahia, C. Emmanuel

2011-01-01

This article draws attention to the issue of parental severe mental illness and the ethical and clinical implications for counselors who work with this population. Parents with mental illness face a multitude of life challenges including, but not limited to, parenting difficulties, medication and hospitalization, custody and placement of their…

Psychological Resilience among Children Affected by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Conceptual Framework

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoming; Chi, Peilian; Sherr, Lorraine; Cluver, Lucie; Stanton, Bonita

2015-01-01

HIV-related parental illness and death have a profound and lasting impact on a child's psychosocial wellbeing, potentially compromising the child's future. In response to a paucity of theoretical and conceptual discussions regarding the development of resilience among children affected by parental HIV, we proposed a conceptual framework of psychological resilience among children affected by HIV based on critical reviews of the existing theoretical and empirical literature. Three interactive social ecological factors were proposed to promote the resilience processes and attenuate the negative impact of parental HIV on children's psychological development. Internal assets, such as cognitive capacity, motivation to adapt, coping skills, religion/spirituality, and personality, promote resilience processes. Family resources and community resources are two critical contextual factors that facilitate resilience process. Family resources contain smooth transition, functional caregivers, attachment relationship, parenting discipline. Community resources contain teacher support, peer support, adult mentors, and effective school. The implications of the conceptual framework for future research and interventions among children affected by parental HIV were discussed. PMID:26716068

Psychological Resilience among Children Affected by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Conceptual Framework.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoming; Chi, Peilian; Sherr, Lorraine; Cluver, Lucie; Stanton, Bonita

2015-01-01

HIV-related parental illness and death have a profound and lasting impact on a child's psychosocial wellbeing, potentially compromising the child's future. In response to a paucity of theoretical and conceptual discussions regarding the development of resilience among children affected by parental HIV, we proposed a conceptual framework of psychological resilience among children affected by HIV based on critical reviews of the existing theoretical and empirical literature. Three interactive social ecological factors were proposed to promote the resilience processes and attenuate the negative impact of parental HIV on children's psychological development. Internal assets, such as cognitive capacity, motivation to adapt, coping skills, religion/spirituality, and personality, promote resilience processes. Family resources and community resources are two critical contextual factors that facilitate resilience process. Family resources contain smooth transition, functional caregivers, attachment relationship, parenting discipline. Community resources contain teacher support, peer support, adult mentors, and effective school. The implications of the conceptual framework for future research and interventions among children affected by parental HIV were discussed.

Grief: The Unrecognized Parental Response to Mental Illness in a Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacGregor, Peggy

1994-01-01

Notes that parents whose son or daughter develops serious mental illness experience grief that is often neither recognized by society nor addressed by mental health professionals. Describes some common elements of parental bereavement, losses experienced with mental illness, consequences of ignoring grief, and appropriate interventions for mental…

Living with a mentally ill parent: exploring adolescents' experiences and perspectives.

PubMed

Trondsen, Marianne V

2012-02-01

Although a considerable body of research has described the implications of parental mental illness, the perspectives of children and adolescents have rarely been addressed. In this article, I explore adolescents' experiences in everyday life, based on an action-oriented study of a Norwegian online self-help group for adolescents (aged 15 to 18) with mentally ill parents. The analysis was conducted through participant observation of the group for 2 years. The adolescents experienced a variety of difficult challenges related to their parent's mental illness: lack of information and openness; unpredictability and instability; fear; loneliness; and loss and sorrow. However, they also discussed strategies for active management of the challenges arising from the family situation. I argue that these adolescents can be understood as vulnerable as well as active participants in managing their everyday lives. I emphasize the importance of including perspectives of children and adolescents in further research so as to improve health care for families with parental mental illness.

Parents Caring For Adult Children With Serious Mental Illness.

PubMed

Raymond, Kathryn Y; Willis, Danny G; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan

Parents often become the caregivers for their adult children with serious mental illness (SMI) due to the chronic and debilitating course of the illness and shortages in funding for community mental health services and residential placements. To examine parents' management styles when caring for adult children with SMI and parents' perspectives on what type of community-based mental health interventions would support and/or enhance overall family functioning. A qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews with parents caring for adult children with SMI. The study was undergirded by Knafl and Deatrick's Family Management Style Framework. Four major themes emerged from the data describing prolonged and difficult phases that parents and the family undergo in caring for an adult child with SMI. Successful management of these phases must include increasing access to mental health information, mental health screening, early interventions, and violence prevention for adult children and their families.

Parents of mentally ill adult children living at home: rewards of caregiving.

PubMed

Schwartz, Chaya; Gidron, Ronit

2002-05-01

In the context of parents caring at home for an adult child with mental illness, this study explored the positive aspects and rewards of caregiving. Specifically, it measured the extent to which parents perceive their ill child as providing assistance and support--practical and emotional--and perceive their own caregiving as emotionally and mentally rewarding. One parent from each of 93 households completed a self-administered questionnaire. All the parents reported receiving help and support from their child, but perceived the satisfaction gained from fulfilling their parental duties and from learning about themselves as far more important. Their assessment of this satisfaction was entirely unaffected by the subjective and objective burdens on them and the severity of the child's illness.

Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness

PubMed Central

Eccleston, Christopher; Palermo, Tonya M; Fisher, Emma; Law, Emily

2012-01-01

Background Psychological therapies have been developed for parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Such therapies include parent only or parent and child/adolescent, and are designed to treat parent behaviour, parent mental health, child behaviour/disability, child mental health, child symptoms and/or family functioning. No comprehensive, meta-analytic reviews have been published in this area. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of psychological therapies that include coping strategies for parents of children/adolescents with chronic illnesses (painful conditions, cancer, diabetes mellitus, asthma, traumatic brain injury, inflammatory bowel diseases, skin diseases or gynaecological disorders). The therapy will aim to improve parent behaviour, parent mental health, child behaviour/disability, child mental health, child symptoms and family functioning. Search methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsyclNFO for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions that included parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. The initial search was from inception of these databases to June 2011 and we conducted a follow-up search from June 2011 to March 2012. We identified additional studies from the reference list of retrieved papers and from discussion with investigators. Selection criteria Included studies were RCTs of psychological interventions that delivered treatment to parents of children and adolescents (under 19 years of age) with a chronic illness compared to active control, wait list control or treatment as usual. We excluded studies if the parent component was a coaching intervention, the aim of the intervention was health prevention/promotion, the comparator was a pharmacological treatment, the child/adolescent had an illness not listed above or the study included children with more than one type of chronic illness. Further to this, we excluded studies when the sample size of either comparator

Agreement between children and parents demonstrated that illness-related absenteeism was validly reported by children.

PubMed

Denbæk, Anne Maj; Bonnesen, Camilla Thørring; Andersen, Anette; Holstein, Bjørn Evald; Laursen, Bjarne; Due, Pernille; Johansen, Anette

2016-01-01

To examine the agreement between children's and parents' reporting of illness-related absenteeism from school and to examine predictors for disagreement between children and parents. A total of 8,438 schoolchildren aged from 5 to 15 years (grade 0-8) and one parent of each child were invited to participate in the Hi Five baseline study. The response rate for children answering a questionnaire was 89% (n = 7,525), and 36% of the parents (n = 3,008) participated in a weekly illness registration study using text messages (short message service) over a period of 22 weeks. Text messages and questionnaire data were linked at the individual level, leaving 2,269 child-parent pairs in the analysis, corresponding to 27% of the eligible sample. The agreement between children's and parents' reports of illness-related absenteeism was good, with high absolute agreement and slight to moderate Ƙ values. Agreement was lowest for 6- to 8-year-olds and highest for 11- to 12-year-olds. Children's reports of illness symptoms and parents' reports of their children's illnesses in the preceding week were strong predictors for children reporting illness-related absenteeism when parents did not. Illness-related absenteeism can be reported by children, and children report higher prevalence of illness-related absenteeism than parents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Micro-Developmental View of Parental Well-being in Families Coping with Chronic Illness

PubMed Central

Queen, Tara L.; Butner, Jonathan; Wiebe, Deborah J.; Berg, Cynthia A.

2016-01-01

Families are co-regulating systems in which the daily experiences of one member affect the well-being of another member of the family. We examined daily, micro-developmental processes by modeling the associations between adolescents’ daily problems and emotional experiences in managing type 1 diabetes and changes in parental negative and positive affect surrounding the illness. Using a daily diary method, 161 mothers (M age=40 years), fathers (M age=42 years), and early adolescents (M age=12.4 years) rated their negative and positive emotions surrounding diabetes for 14 days. Adolescents reported, via a checklist, the number of problems they experienced in managing diabetes each day. Using dynamical systems modeling, we found that adolescents’ problems and emotions were related to changes in their parents’ reports of negative affect, though differently for mothers and fathers. On days when adolescents reported more problems, fathers’ affect changed more slowly back to homeostasis. Adolescents’ problems were not associated with change in mothers’ negative affect, but when adolescents reported greater negative daily affect, mothers were drawn to greater negative affect, displaying a higher set point. Models accounting for parental coupling effects suggested that when adolescents reported more negative affect, mothers’ affect changed more slowly back to homeostasis. Neither adolescents’ problems nor their emotions were associated with changes in mothers’ or fathers’ reports of daily positive affect. These results indicate different temporal patterns in mothers’ and fathers’ negative affect that illustrate how mothers, fathers, and adolescents react differently to chronic illness within the family system. PMID:27148935

Evaluative communications between affectively ill and well mothers and their children.

PubMed

Inoff-Germain, G; Nottelmann, E D; Radke-Yarrow, M

1992-04-01

Earlier research suggests that the natural verbal discourse of mothers with their children can be important in clarifying, verifying, and evaluating the behavior in which a child is engaged, in attributing qualities to the child, and in influencing the child's self-perceptions. We investigated the potential influences of parental affective illness (bipolar affective disorder and unipolar depression in contrast to no history of psychiatric illness) on such "labeling" behavior in a sample of 61 mothers and their older (school-age) and younger (preschool-age) children. It was hypothesized that the dispositions characterizing affective illness (specifically, negativity and disengagement) would be reflected in the labeling statements of mothers with a diagnosis as they interacted with their children. Based on videotaped interactions during a visit to a home-like laboratory apartment, labeling statements were identified in terms of speaker and person being labeled ("addressee") and coded (positive, negative, mixed, or neutral) for judgmental and affective quality of the statement and reaction of the addressee. Data were analyzed (a) by family unit and (b) my mother to child statements. The general pattern of findings indicated, in relative terms, an excess of negativity on the part of family members in the bipolar group and a dearth of negative affect for mothers in the unipolar group. Negativity in the bipolar group appeared to be especially likely when the setting involved mothers and two male children. Additionally, findings are discussed in terms of sex differences in vulnerability to depression.

Parents with mental illness - a qualitative study of identities and experiences with support services.

PubMed

Jones, M; Pietilä, I; Joronen, K; Simpson, W; Gray, S; Kaunonen, M

2016-10-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: According to estimates more than half of adult mental health service users are parents, but their experiences are largely lacking from research literature. Parental mental illness can often be viewed from a risk perspective. Parents with mental illness and their families have unmet support needs. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Parents with mental illness want acknowledgement that they can be able and responsible. Many parents adopt an expert by experience identity. Fathers can feel their parental role is not recognized and mothers express fears of being judged if they discuss their illness. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Adult mental health services need to recognize and support parental role of service users. Joint care planning and family oriented care should be promoted. Professionals should take advantage of the knowledge of these parents and they could be more actively engaged in service development. Introduction Parental mental illness is often viewed from a risk perspective. Despite this, being a parent can be both valuable and motivating. Research literature lacks the perspective of mothers and fathers, who have experienced mental illness. Aim This study explores how parents with mental illness construct their identities as mothers and fathers and their experiences with health and social care services. Method Three focus groups with 19 participants were conducted in Finland and Scotland. Methods of discourse analysis have been used in to analyse the interview data. Results Adult service users want their parenting role recognized and supported. Parents have knowledge and skills which can be utilized and many have adopted an expert by experience identity. Discussion Being able to see oneself as a 'good' parent can be challenging but important. Parents may require support, but want to be included in the planning of their care. Services could make more use of the knowledge and skills parents and families

Parent Perceptions of Illness Uncertainty and Child Depressive Symptoms in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases: Examining Caregiver Demand and Parent Distress as Mediators.

PubMed

Chaney, John M; Gamwell, Kaitlyn L; Baraldi, Amanda N; Ramsey, Rachelle R; Cushing, Christopher C; Mullins, Alexandria J; Gillaspy, Stephen R; Jarvis, James N; Mullins, Larry L

2016-10-01

Examine caregiver demand and general parent distress as mediators in the parent illness uncertainty-child depressive symptom association in youth with juvenile rheumatic diseases. Children and adolescents completed the Child Depression Inventory; caregivers completed the Parent Perceptions of Uncertainty Scale, the Care for My Child with Rheumatic Disease Scale, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. The pediatric rheumatologist provided ratings of clinical disease status. Analyses revealed significant direct associations between illness uncertainty and caregiver demand, and between caregiver demand and both parent distress and child depressive symptoms. Results also revealed significant parent uncertainty → caregiver demand → parent distress and parent uncertainty → caregiver demand → child depressive symptom indirect paths. Results highlight the role of illness appraisals in adjustment to juvenile rheumatic diseases, and provide preliminary evidence that parent appraisals of illness uncertainty impact parent distress and child depressive symptoms indirectly through increased perceptions of caregiver demand. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Children whose parents have a mental illness: prevalence, need and treatment.

PubMed

Reupert, Andrea E; J Maybery, Darryl; Kowalenko, Nicholas M

2013-08-05

Up to one in five young people live in families with a parent who has a mental illness. There are various genetic, individual, family and environmental risk factors for children living in these families. Outcomes for children vary according to factors related to a parent's mental illness as well as certain environmental protective and risk factors, related to the family, social support and community. Health care workers need to acknowledge their patients' parenting roles and responsibilities and the needs of other family members, especially children.

Linking Illness in Parents to Health Anxiety in Offspring: Do Beliefs about Health Play a Role?

PubMed

Alberts, Nicole M; Hadjistavropoulos, Heather D; Sherry, Simon B; Stewart, Sherry H

2016-01-01

The cognitive behavioural (CB) model of health anxiety proposes parental illness leads to elevated health anxiety in offspring by promoting the acquisition of specific health beliefs (e.g. overestimation of the likelihood of illness). Our study tested this central tenet of the CB model. Participants were 444 emerging adults (18-25-years-old) who completed online measures and were categorized into those with healthy parents (n = 328) or seriously ill parents (n = 116). Small (d = .21), but significant, elevations in health anxiety, and small to medium (d = .40) elevations in beliefs about the likelihood of illness were found among those with ill vs. healthy parents. Mediation analyses indicated the relationship between parental illness and health anxiety was mediated by beliefs regarding the likelihood of future illness. Our study incrementally advances knowledge by testing and supporting a central proposition of the CB model. The findings add further specificity to the CB model by highlighting the importance of a specific health belief as a central contributor to health anxiety among offspring with a history of serious parental illness.

Shared Decision-Making with Parents of Acutely Ill Children: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Aronson, Paul L; Shapiro, Eugene D; Niccolai, Linda M; Fraenkel, Liana

Shared decision-making (SDM) has mostly been used with adults and parents in the primary care setting, and there is limited knowledge on the use of SDM with parents of acutely ill children. The objective of this study was to review the literature on SDM with parents in the management of acutely ill children. We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for English language studies published from the time of database inception to February, 2017. Study eligibility criterion was use of SDM with parents for children aged 18 years or younger with an acute medical problem. We identified 2 ongoing clinical trials and 10 published studies that met inclusion criteria: 2 using hypothetical SDM scenarios, 1 mixed methods study, and 7 intervention studies. Only 1 study compared an SDM intervention with usual care in a randomized controlled trial. The limited literature shows that parents of acutely ill children have differing preferences for testing and/or treatment, and that they generally want the opportunity to express those preferences through an SDM process. Use of SDM often results in acutely ill children undergoing fewer and/or less intensive testing or treatment, although the effect on outcomes is unclear. Parents welcome participation in SDM for management decisions with their acutely ill child. Further investigation is needed to determine how best to implement SDM with parents of acutely ill children and to assess the effect of SDM on outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding child protection decisions involving parents with mental illness and substance abuse.

PubMed

Roscoe, Joseph N; Lery, Bridgette; Chambers, Jaclyn E

2018-07-01

Among children investigated for maltreatment, those with parents experiencing mental illness or substance abuse are more likely to be placed out-of-home; however, little is known about why these children are at greater risk. Using a sample of 2488 Structured Decision Making ® assessments administered in San Francisco county from 2011 to 2015, we identified a profile of safety threats that accounts for why workers are more likely to determine children of parents with mental illness and/or substance abuse unsafe in the home. Eight percent of assessments in our sample involved parents with current mental illness only and 10% had comorbid substance abuse. The odds of an unsafe determination more than doubled among parents with mental illness (OR = 2.52, p < 0.001) and were nearly tenfold higher among parents with comorbid substance abuse (OR = 9.62, p < 0.001). Three safety threats accounted for all of the effect of parental mental illness on safety determination: caretaking impairment due to emotional stability/developmental status/cognitive deficiency (57%), failure to meet a child's immediate needs (30%), and threats of harm (14%). Three safety threats accounted for 55% of the effect of comorbid mental illness and substance abuse on safety determination: failure to meet a child's immediate needs (21%), presence of a drug-exposed infant (21%), and caretaking impairment due to emotional stability/developmental status/cognitive deficiency (14%). Results suggest that sustained linkage to effective mental health services and material resources at the outset of a child welfare case may help to promote faster and more likely reunification, and prevent future maltreatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Parental Grief as a Response to Mental Illness: Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penzo, Jeanine A.; Harvey, Pat

2008-01-01

Parents who are raising children with mental illness struggle with feelings of grief and loss. Kubler-Ross' (1969) stages of grieving (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) are examined as experienced by parents raising children with chronic mental illness. Practice implications for social workers who are working with children and…

[Children of mentally ill parents. Research perspectives exemplified by children of depressed parents].

PubMed

Mattejat, F; Wüthrich, C; Remschmidt, H

2000-03-01

Children of psychiatrically ill parents represent a risk group that has received growing attention during the last years. The risk for this group to develop a psychiatric illness is markedly increased due to genetic and psychosocial factors. The development of effective preventive concepts requires a thorough knowledge of the psychosocial factors. In this paper, deficits and problems of research in psychosocial transmission mechanism are discussed taking the example of children of depressive parents. Conclusions from this exemplary considerations may serve as guidelines for future research. The authors suggest that the focus be rather placed on coping strategies and developmental psychopathology. Further, research criteria are formulated that refer to theoretical models as well as to study design.

Parental physical illness as a risk for psychosocial maladjustment in children and adolescents: epidemiological findings from a national survey in Germany.

PubMed

Barkmann, Claus; Romer, Georg; Watson, Maggie; Schulte-Markwort, Michael

2007-01-01

The authors assessed the risk for psychosocial maladjustment in a population-based sample of dependent children of parents with serious physical illness. In the context of The Hamburg Health Survey, a wide range of data on current life situation and health status was collected from a representative sample of families with children and adolescents between 4 and 18 years old (N=1,950). For 4- to 18-year-old children and adolescents in Germany, the prevalence of a serious physical illness in a parent was 4.1%. The adjusted risk of psychosocial maladjustment in this target group, depending on the case definition, is elevated, with internalizing problems being more prevalent than externalizing problems. Although problems for affected boys decline with puberty, they increase for girls. In this age-group, girls and boys appear to be under particular strain when the respective same-sex parent has a serious physical illness. Exposure to serious parental physical illness is an epidemiologically relevant risk factor for psychosocial maladjustment in children and adolescents that needs to be better recognized by medical professionals.

Effectiveness of a family-oriented rehabilitation program on the quality of life of parents of chronically ill children.

PubMed

West, C A; Besier, T; Borth-Bruhns, T; Goldbeck, L

2009-01-01

Parents of chronically ill children face numerous burdens in daily life, which can impair their quality of life (QoL) significantly. Therefore in family-oriented rehabilitation, not only the children themselves, but also their parents receive interventions. These aim at stabilizing parents both mentally and physically to enable them to support their children in the best possible way. This study investigates the effects of an inpatient family-oriented rehabilitation program on the QoL of parents of chronically ill children. A consecutive sample of 231 mothers and 155 fathers of children suffering from cancer, cardiac diseases or cystic fibrosis participated in the study. In a prospective longitudinal study, parental QoL was repeatedly assessed using the Ulm Quality of Life Inventory for Parents (ULQIE) at three different time points: admission to the rehabilitation clinic, discharge after four weeks of inpatient treatment, and at a six-month follow-up. Parental QoL increased markedly during rehabilitation treatment (mothers eta (2)=.326, fathers eta (2)=.249). Moreover, six months after the intervention, parental quality of life was still markedly improved compared to baseline assessment (mothers eta (2)=.259, fathers eta (2)=.069). The child's diagnosis had no effect on the level and course of parental QoL. Taking part in family-oriented rehabilitation can improve the QoL of parents of children suffering from cancer, cardiac diseases or cystic fibrosis. Such programs could be expected to affect the way chronically ill children cope with their condition and this should be examined in future studies.

Parental Health Attributions of Childhood Health and Illness: Development of the Pediatric Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ).

PubMed

Vaughn, Lisa M; McLinden, Daniel J; Shellmer, Diana; Baker, Raymond C

2011-01-01

The causes attributed to childhood health and illness across cultures (cultural health attributions) are key factors that are now more frequently identified as affecting the health outcomes of children. Research suggests that the causes attributed to an event such as illness are thought to affect subsequent motivation, emotional response, decision making, and behavior. To date, there is no measure of health attributions appropriate for use with parents of pediatric patients. Using the Many-Facets approach to Rasch analysis, this study assesses the psychometrics of a newly developed instrument, the Pediatric Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ), a measure designed to assess the cultural health attributions of parents in diverse communities. Results suggest acceptable Rasch model statistics of fit and reliability for the Pedi-CHAQ. A shortened version of the questionnaire was developed as a result of this study and next steps are discussed.

Parents' help-seeking behaviours during acute childhood illness at home: A contribution to explanatory theory.

PubMed

Neill, Sarah J; Jones, Caroline H D; Lakhanpaul, Monica; Roland, Damian T; Thompson, Matthew J

2016-03-01

Uncertainty and anxiety surround parents' decisions to seek medical help for an acutely ill child. Consultation rates for children are rising, yet little is known about factors that influence parents' help-seeking behaviours. We used focus groups and interviews to examine how 27 parents of children under five years, from a range of socioeconomic groups in the East Midlands of England, use information to make decisions during acute childhood illness at home. This article reports findings elucidating factors that influence help-seeking behaviours. Parents reported that decision-making during acute childhood illness was influenced by a range of personal, social and health service factors. Principal among these was parents' concern to do the right thing for their child. Their ability to assess the severity of the illness was influenced by knowledge and experience of childhood illness. When parents were unable to access their general practitioner (GP), feared criticism from or had lost trust in their GP, some parents reported using services elsewhere such as Accident and Emergency. These findings contribute to explanatory theory concerning parents' help-seeking behaviours. Professional and political solutions have not reduced demand; therefore, collaborative approaches involving the public and professionals are now needed to improve parents' access to information. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Unique Effects of Parental Alcohol and Affective Disorders, Parenting, and Parental Negative Affect on Adolescent Maladjustment

PubMed Central

Haller, Moira; Chassin, Laurie

2010-01-01

Using a high-risk community sample, multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for mothers (N=416) and fathers (N= 346) to test the unique, prospective influence of parental negative affect on adolescent maladjustment (internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and negative emotionality) two years later over and above parental alcohol and affective disorders, major disruption in the family environment, and parenting. Adolescent sex was tested as a moderator. Results indicated that maternal (but not paternal) negative affect had a unique, prospective effect on adolescent internalizing symptoms in girls and negative emotionality in both sexes, but did not predict adolescent externalizing symptoms. Findings demonstrate that mothers’ negative affect may have unique effects on adolescent adjustment, separate from the effects of clinically significant parental psychopathology, parenting, and disruption in the family environment. PMID:23761947

The Unique Effects of Parental Alcohol and Affective Disorders, Parenting, and Parental Negative Affect on Adolescent Maladjustment.

PubMed

Haller, Moira; Chassin, Laurie

2011-07-01

Using a high-risk community sample, multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for mothers ( N =416) and fathers ( N = 346) to test the unique, prospective influence of parental negative affect on adolescent maladjustment (internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and negative emotionality) two years later over and above parental alcohol and affective disorders, major disruption in the family environment, and parenting. Adolescent sex was tested as a moderator. Results indicated that maternal (but not paternal) negative affect had a unique, prospective effect on adolescent internalizing symptoms in girls and negative emotionality in both sexes, but did not predict adolescent externalizing symptoms. Findings demonstrate that mothers' negative affect may have unique effects on adolescent adjustment, separate from the effects of clinically significant parental psychopathology, parenting, and disruption in the family environment.

Parents with serious mental illness: differences in internalised and externalised mental illness stigma and gender stigma between mothers and fathers.

PubMed

Lacey, Melanie; Paolini, Stefania; Hanlon, Mary-Claire; Melville, Jessica; Galletly, Cherrie; Campbell, Linda E

2015-02-28

Research demonstrates that people living with serious mental illness (SMI) contend with widespread public stigma; however, little is known about the specific experiences of stigma that mothers, and in particular fathers, with SMI encounter as parents. This study aimed to explore and compare the experiences of stigma for mothers and fathers with SMI inferred not only by living with a mental illness but also potential compounding gender effects, and the associated impact of stigma on parenting. Telephone surveys were conducted with 93 participants with SMI who previously identified as parents in the Second Australian National Survey of Psychosis. Results indicated that mothers were more likely than fathers to perceive and internalise stigma associated with their mental illness. Conversely, fathers were more inclined to perceive stigma relating to their gender and to hold stigmatising attitudes towards others. Mental illness and gender stigma predicted poorer self-reported parenting experiences for both mothers and fathers. These findings may assist in tailoring interventions for mothers and fathers with SMI. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult children of parents with mental illness: Dehumanization of a parent - 'She wasn't the wreck in those years that she was to become later'.

PubMed

Murphy, Gillian; Peters, Kath; Wilkes, Lesley; Jackson, Debra

2018-06-01

Children who have lived with parental mental illness experience long-standing reduced health and social outcomes, alongside ongoing personal distress. While there has been some dialogue regarding interventions to support children who are living with parental mental illness, there remains a paucity of knowledge regarding adult children's experiences and potential needs. Given this, the aim of the present study was to establish parenting narratives of adult children who had experienced childhood parental mental illness. This included their experiences of being parented alongside their own subsequent parenting roles. Three men and 10 women, ranging from 30 to 78 years old, met individually with a researcher to tell their stories. Narratives were thematically analysed to establish themes. The findings of the study demonstrated that individuals who have lived with childhood parental mental illness dehumanized their parent with mental illness. The authors argue that all mental health services should be underpinned with a whole of family assessment and care philosophy. There is also a need for all mental health services to consider how policies and procedures might inadvertently dehumanize clients who are parents, which could contribute to familial dehumanization. This could prevent the dehumanization of parents who experience mental illness to preserve parental and child relationships. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Descriptive survey about causes of illness given by the parents of children with cancer.

PubMed

Matteo, Bernardi; Pierluigi, Badon

2008-04-01

When a doctor diagnoses a child's illness as cancer, parents very often react by creating wrong and unrealistic theories about the origins of their child's illness which in turn generates self-blame in the parents, who take responsibility for the disease. To find what are the parents' beliefs about the origins of their children's illness. Descriptive study. Seventy-two couples of parents whose children with cancer are under treatment in the haemato-oncology paediatric ward of the Padova hospital. They have been collected by a no probabilistic method of sampling. A questionnaire was used, based on current literature, which investigates the beliefs of the parents as to what are the causes of illness, whether the parents research information about the illness and the origins of cancer and what are the information sources they use in order to establish if there is a connection between these factors. Eighty-seven percent of the sample group thinks that there is a specific origin of their child's illness: 27% believes the cause is environmental pollution, 26% believes it is due to radiation emissions, 26% believes it is due to genetic factors and 8% believes it is due to other causes. Eighty six percent and 70% of the sample search for information about the illness and its causes; 64% of the parents state that the first meeting with the medical staff, in which the illness is explained and they are informed that there are no known causes that produce it, does not clarify their doubts. The sources more often used to search for more information and explanations are the physicians in the ward, internet and medical books. This survey confirms the importance of an "advocacy" role of the nurse in educating the caregiver and the need to create instruments which guide the parents in the informative process and the research for good information. Nurses need to be cognizant that their care is crucial not just for the child, but for the entire family.

Why do parents use the emergency department for minor injury and illness? A cross-sectional questionnaire.

PubMed

Ogilvie, Sarah; Hopgood, Katie; Higginson, Ian; Ives, Andrew; Smith, Jason E

2016-03-01

To understand decision-making when bringing a child to an emergency department. A cross-sectional survey of parents attending with children allocated a minor triage category. Emergency department in South West England, serving 450,000 people per annum. All English-speaking parents/caregivers whose children attended the emergency department and were triaged as minor injury/illness. Parental and child characteristics, injury/illness characteristics, advice seeking behaviour, views regarding emergency department service improvement, GP access and determinants of emergency department use. In sum, 373 responses were analysed. The majority of attendances were for minor injury, although illness was more common in <4 year olds. Most presentations were within 4 h of injury/illness and parents typically sought advice before attending. Younger parents reported feeling more stressed. Parents of younger children perceived the injury/illness to be more serious, reporting greater levels of worry, stress, helplessness and upset and less confidence. Parents educated to a higher level were more likely to administer first-aid/medication. Around 40% did not seek advice prior to attending and typically these were parents aged <24 and parents of <1 year olds. The main determinants of use were: advised by someone other than a GP; perceived urgency; perceived appropriateness. The need for reassurance also featured. The findings suggest that it is difficult for parents to determine whether their child's symptoms reflect minor conditions. Efforts should focus on building parental confidence and self-help and be directed at parents of younger children and younger parents. This is in addition to appropriate minor injury/illness assessment and treatment services.

[Prevention groups for school-age children of mentally ill parents ("Auryn Groups")].

PubMed

Dierks, H

2001-09-01

Children of psychiatrically ill parents have a high risk themselves to develop a psychiatric illness in adulthood. Prevention aims at strengthening the resilience of these children and reducing psychosocial risk factors. This article found and describes a theoretical concept of prevention groups for children in schoolage (7-16 years) whose parents are psychiatrically ill. First practical experiences are depicted. The Hamburgian model of prevention works with closed and temporary limited groups of children as well as with the parents. It is based on supporting the children's existing coping strategies and the children are encouraged to exchange their individual experiences of the relationships within their families. One conclusion was, that the main thematic emphasis varied considerably depending on the age of the children.

Children in Beardslee's family intervention: relieved by understanding of parental mental illness.

PubMed

Pihkala, Heljä; Sandlund, Mikael; Cederström, Anita

2012-11-01

Beardslee's family intervention (FI), which is a family-based preventive method for children of mentally ill parents, has been implemented on a national level in Sweden. Fourteen children and parents from nine families were interviewed about how the FI was for the children. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. A central finding was children's sense of relief and release from worry because of more knowledge and openness about the parent's illness in the family. The results indicating relief for the children are encouraging.

Parents, Mental Illness, and the Primary Health Care of Infants and Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenichel, Emily, Ed.

1993-01-01

This bulletin issue contains five papers on the theme of adults with mental illness who are parents of very young children. "Parents, Mental Illness, and the Primary Health Care of Infants and Young Children" (John N. Constantino) offers the experience of a trainee in a combined residency in pediatrics and psychiatry, focusing on…

Young adults' childhood experiences of support when living with a parent with a mental illness.

PubMed

Nilsson, Stefan; Gustafsson, Lisa; Nolbris, Margaretha Jenholt

2015-12-01

There are several concerns in relation to children living with a parent suffering from a mental illness. In such circumstances, the health-care professionals need to involve the whole family, offering help to the parents on parenting as well as support for their children. These children are often helped by participating in meetings that provide them with contact with others with similar experiences. The aim of this study was to investigate young adults' childhood experiences of support groups when living with a mentally ill parent. Seven young women were chosen to participate in this study. A qualitative descriptive method was chosen. The main category emerged as 'the influence of life outside the home because of a parent's mental illness' from the two generic categories: 'a different world' and 'an emotion-filled life'. The participants' friends did not know that their parent was ill and they 'always had to…take responsibility for what happened at home'. These young adults appreciated the support group activities they participated in during their childhood, stating that the meetings had influenced their everyday life as young adults. Despite this, they associated their everyday life with feelings of being different. This study highlights the need for support groups for children whose parents suffer from mental illness. © The Author(s) 2014.

Needs, expectations and consequences for children growing up in a family where the parent has a mental illness.

PubMed

Tabak, Izabela; Zabłocka-Żytka, Lidia; Ryan, Peter; Poma, Stefano Zanone; Joronen, Katja; Viganò, Giovanni; Simpson, Wendy; Paavilainen, Eija; Scherbaum, Norbert; Smith, Martin; Dawson, Ian

2016-08-01

The lack of pan-European guidelines for empowering children of parents with mental illness led to the EU project CAMILLE - Empowerment of Children and Adolescents of Mentally Ill Parents through Training of Professionals working with children and adolescents. The aim of this initial task in the project was to analyse needs, expectations and consequences for children with respect to living with a parent with mental illness from the perspective of professionals and family members. This qualitative research was conducted in England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland and Scotland with 96 professionals, parents with mental illness, adult children and partners of parents with mental illness. A framework analysis method was used. Results of the study highlighted that the main consequences described for children of parental mental illness were role reversal; emotional and behavioural problems; lack of parent's attention and stigma. The main needs of these children were described as emotional support, security and multidisciplinary help. Implications for practice are that professionals working with parents with mental illness should be aware of the specific consequences for the children and encourage parents in their parental role; multi-agency collaboration is necessary; schools should provide counselling and prevent stigma. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Communicating prognosis with parents of critically ill infants: direct observation of clinician behaviors.

PubMed

Boss, R D; Lemmon, M E; Arnold, R M; Donohue, P K

2017-11-01

Delivering prognostic information to families requires clinicians to forecast an infant's illness course and future. We lack robust empirical data about how prognosis is shared and how that affects clinician-family concordance regarding infant outcomes. Prospective audiorecording of neonatal intensive care unit family conferences, immediately followed by parent/clinician surveys. Existing qualitative analysis frameworks were applied. We analyzed 19 conferences. Most prognostic discussion targeted predicted infant functional needs, for example, medications or feeding. There was little discussion of how infant prognosis would affect infant/family quality of life. Prognostic framing was typically optimistic. Most parents left the conference believing their infant's prognosis to be more optimistic than did clinicians. Clinician approach to prognostic disclosure in these audiotaped family conferences tended to be broad and optimistic, without detail regarding implications of infant health for infant/family quality of life. Families and clinicians left these conversations with little consensus about infant prognosis.

Differences in illness perception between children with cancer and other chronic diseases and their parents.

PubMed

Szentes, Annamária; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Békési, Andrea; Bokrétás, Ildikó; Török, Szabolcs

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in illness perception between children with cancer and other chronic diseases. A secondary aim was to examine the similarities and differences between the illness perception of these children and their parents. The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) was used to measure the children's and parents' illness perceptions. In this study, 184 children (ages 8-18 years) and their caregivers completed the questionnaires. This study shows that children with cancer feel that they have greater control over their treatment compared to the other two groups. The children's parents have more pessimistic views of the illness than their children. Examinations of illness perceptions among paediatric cancer patients and their families are essential in designing psychosocial interventions for these families. The clinical value of our results can help better understand the cancer-specific features of illness perceptions.

Listening to Older Adult Parents of Adult Children with Mental Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Judith R.

2012-01-01

This article uses qualitative research and narrative analysis to examine the experience of women age 55 and older who are parents caring for adult children with mental illness. Knowledge about the conflicts of older parents with dependent children is underdeveloped. In this study, analysis of women's stories about parenting in later life reveal…

Prevalence of psychopathology in children of parents with mental illness and/or addiction: an up to date narrative review.

PubMed

Leijdesdorff, Sophie; van Doesum, Karin; Popma, Arne; Klaassen, Rianne; van Amelsvoort, Therese

2017-07-01

Children of parents with a mental illness and/or addiction are at high risk for developing a mental illness themselves. Parental mental illness is highly prevalent leading to a serious number of children at high risk. The aim of this review is to give an up-to-date overview of psychopathology in children of parents with various mental illnesses and/or addiction, based on recent literature. Worldwide, 15-23% of children live with a parent with a mental illness. These children have up to 50% chance of developing a mental illness. Parental anxiety disorder sets children at a more specific risk for developing anxiety disorder themselves, where children of parents with other mental illnesses are at high risk of a large variety of mental illnesses. Although preventive interventions in children of mentally ill parents may decrease the risk of problem development by 40%; currently, these children are not automatically identified and offered help. This knowledge should encourage mental health services to address the needs of these children which requires strong collaboration between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Adult Mental Health Services. Directions for further research would be to include both parents, allow for comorbidity and to look deeper into a broader variety of mental illnesses such as autism and personality disorder other than borderline.

Initiating communication about parental mental illness in families: an issue of confidence and security.

PubMed

Pihkala, Heljä; Sandlund, Mikael; Cederström, Anita

2012-05-01

Beardslee's family intervention (FI) is a family-based intervention to prevent psychiatric problems for children of mentally ill parents. The parents' experiences are of importance in family-based interventions. Twenty five parents were interviewed about their experiences of FI. Data were analysed by qualitative methods. Confidence and security in the professionals and in FI as a method were prerequisites for initiating communication about the parents' mental illness with the children. FI provides a solid base for an alliance with the parents and might be a practicable method when parenthood and children are discussed with psychiatric patients.

[Influence of parental smoking on pediatric hospitalization for respiratory illness among children aged less than 2 years].

PubMed

Pardo Crespo , M R; Pérez Iglesias , R; Llorca, J; Rodrigo Calabia , E; Alvarez Granda , L; Delgado Rodríguez, M

2000-10-01

To determine whether parental smoking increased the risk of hospitalization among children aged less than 2 years. Case-reference study conducted from April 1995-May 1996. The group of cases was composed of 40% of all the children aged 2 years or less years admitted to our hospital (n=392). The reference population was composed of 15% of the live newborns in the same the hospital (n=493). The information was obtained by face-to-face interview after delivery in both populations and by telephone interview or postal survey and was completed in the reference population one year after delivery. Maternal smoking increased the risk of hospitalization for lower respiratory illness (adjusted RR - 1.79; 95% CI = 1.03-3.11). Moreover, the risk of hospitalization for upper or lower respiratory illness, lower respiratory illness and bronchiolitis was increased when the mother smoked more than 19 cigarettes per day. The results were adjusted for confounding factors such as prenatal age, ethnic group, maternal education, social class, breastfeeding and hospitalization of the newborn. Parental smoking, specifically maternal smoking, affects children's health, increasing the risk of hospitalization for respiratory illness in the first 2 years of life.

The experiences of youth serving as caregivers for mentally ill parents: a background review of the literature.

PubMed

Mechling, Brandy M

2011-03-01

Young caregivers of mentally ill parents are a vulnerable population. These vulnerabilities include risks for developmental issues, poor socialization, and poor school performance. The purpose of this background review of the literature is to explore the experiences of young caregivers of mentally ill parents and detect the gaps in the literature. The guiding research questions were: What is the experience of young caregivers of mentally ill parents? and What is the experience for those who witness or must assist their parent during a crisis? The majority of research has been conducted outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom, and studies have focused mostly on young caregivers of parents with physical rather than mental illness. No studies focused on young caregivers who witnessed or assisted their mentally ill parent in crisis. Information gained through this review will add to the body of knowledge for child mental health and build a case for additional research. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Parenting challenges in the setting of terminal illness: a family-focused perspective.

PubMed

Zaider, Talia I; Salley, Christina G; Terry, Rachel; Davidovits, Michael

2015-03-01

In the advanced stages of illness, families with dependent children experience disruption across all dimensions of family life. The need for family support during palliative care is well recognized, yet little is understood about how parents and their children navigate these difficult circumstances. This review summarizes the current body of research on parenting challenges in advanced cancer. To date, the study of parental cancer has focused predominantly on the early stages of disease and its impact on children and adolescents. Less is known about how families with minor children prepare for parental loss. Evidence suggests that having dependent children influences parents' treatment decisions at the end of life, and that a central concern for children and parents is optimizing time spent together. Parents may feel an urgency to engage in accelerated parenting, and maintaining normalcy remains a consistent theme for the ill and healthy parent alike. There is a growing evidence base affirming the importance of responsive communication prior to death. Advancing knowledge about the parenting experience at the end of life is critical for ensuring effective support to the entire family, as it accommodates and prepares for the loss of a vital member.

Psychometric properties of the parent́s perception uncertainty in illness scale, spanish version.

PubMed

Suarez-Acuña, C E; Carvajal-Carrascal, G; Serrano-Gómez, M E

2018-03-27

To analyze the psychometric properties of the Parents' Perception of Uncertainty in Illness Scale, parents/children, adapted to Spanish. A descriptive methodological study involving the translation into Spanish of the Parents' Perception of Uncertainty in Illness Scale, parents/children, and analysis of their face validity, content validity, construct validity and internal consistency. The original version of the scale in English was translated into Spanish, and approved by its author. Six face validity items with comprehension difficulty were reported; which were reviewed and adapted, keeping its structure. The global content validity index with expert appraisal was 0.94. In the exploratory analysis of factors, 3 dimensions were identified: ambiguity and lack of information, unpredictability and lack of clarity, with a KMO=0.846, which accumulated 91.5% of the explained variance. The internal consistency of the scale yielded a Cronbach alpha of 0.86 demonstrating a good level of correlation between items. The Spanish version of "Parent's Perception of Uncertainty in Illness Scale" is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to determine the level of uncertainty of parents facing the illness of their children. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Enfermería Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Talking with a child about a parent's terminal illness

MedlinePlus

... gov/ency/patientinstructions/000848.htm Talking with a child about a parent's terminal illness To use the ... your child's anxiety. How to Talk to Your Child You may wonder when it is the right ...

Differential Outcomes of Adolescents with Chronically Ill and Healthy Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sieh, Dominik Sebastian; Visser-Meily, Johanna Maria Augusta; Meijer, Anne Marie

2013-01-01

Approximately 10% of children grow up with a parent who has been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (CMC) and seem to be at risk for adjustment difficulties. We examined differences in behavioral, psychosocial and academic outcomes between 161 adolescents from 101 families with a chronically ill parent and 112 adolescents from 68 families…

Parents' early healthcare transition experiences with preterm and acutely ill infants: a scoping review.

PubMed

Ballantyne, M; Orava, T; Bernardo, S; McPherson, A C; Church, P; Fehlings, D

2017-11-01

Parents undergo multiple transitions following the birth of an ill infant: their infant's illness-health trajectory, neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and transfers from one healthcare setting to another, while also transitioning to parenthood. The objective of this review was to map and synthesize evidence on the experiences and needs of parents of preterm or ill infants as they transition within and between healthcare settings following birth. The scoping review followed Arskey and O'Malley's () framework, enhanced by Levac et al. (). Relevant studies were identified through a comprehensive search strategy of scientific and grey literature databases, online networks, Web of Science and citation lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria encompassed a focus on infants undergoing a healthcare transition, and the experiences and needs of parents during transition. Studies were appraised for design quality, and data relevant to parent experiences were extracted and underwent thematic analysis. A total of 7773 records were retrieved, 90 full texts reviewed and 11 articles synthesized that represented a total sample of 435 parents of preterm or ill infants. Parents reported on their experiences in response to their infant's transition within and between hospitals and across levels of neonatal intensive care unit, intermediate and community hospital care. Ten studies used qualitative research methods, while one employed quantitative survey methods. Four key themes were identified: that of parent distress throughout transition, parenting at a distance, sources of stress and sources of support. Parents' stress resulted from not being informed or involved in the transition decision, inadequate communication and perceived differences in cultures of care across healthcare settings. Opportunities to improve parents' early transition experiences include enhanced engagement, communication, information-sharing and shared decision-making between health care

The SMILES program: a group program for children with mentally ill parents or siblings.

PubMed

Pitman, Erica; Matthey, Stephen

2004-07-01

The Simplifying Mental Illness + Life Enhancement Skills program, for children with a mentally ill parent or sibling, is a 3-day program that aims to increase children's knowledge of mental illness and to better equip them with life skills considered beneficial for coping in their family. Self-report data from 25 children who attended 3 of these programs, in Canada and Australia, indicate that these aims were achieved. Their parents also report benefits for their children.

Current approaches to helping children cope with a parent's terminal illness.

PubMed

Christ, Grace H; Christ, Adolph E

2006-01-01

Much has been learned about childhood bereavement in the last few decades as studies have increasingly focused on the direct interviewing of children about their recovery from the tragic loss of a parent. It has been shown that children do indeed mourn, although differently from adults. Important moderating and mediating variables have been identified that impact their recovery from the loss of a parent, which can be the focus of intervention. When death is expected, the terminal phase of an illness has been found to be particularly stressful for children, yet seldom investigated. Similarly, few studies have explored the impact of development on children's experience and expression of grief. We present research findings that clarify phases in children's experience during the terminal illness, hospital visits, the death, and its immediate aftermath, as well as how the parent is mourned and issues in longer term reconstitution. Variations in children's responses in these phases are described as they were experienced by 87 children from 3 different developmental groupings: 3 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years, and 9 to 11 years. Recommendations are suggested for parents and professionals about ways to understand and support children during the terminal illness, at the time of death, and during the phase of reconstitution.

Effects of Parental Chronic Illness on Children's Psychosocial and Educational Functioning: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Cliff Yung-Chi

2017-01-01

A good number of children grow up in households where a parent has been diagnosed with medical chronic illness. Parental chronic illness is stressful for children and adolescents and may have some potential impact on children's adjustment and functioning. Some emerging research conducted in the fields of medicine, nursing, and family studies has…

Parents of Mentally Ill Adult Children Living at Home: Rewards of Caregiving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Chaya; Gidron, Ronit

2002-01-01

Study measured the extent to which parents perceive their ill child as providing assistance and support--practical and emotional--and perceive their own caregiving as emotionally and mentally rewarding. All parents reported receiving help and support, but perceived the satisfaction gained from fulfilling their parental duties and from learning…

Do the parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors differ between families with a child with and without chronic illness? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pinquart, Martin

2013-08-01

The present meta-analysis compared the quality of the parent-child relationship as well as parenting behaviors and styles of families with a child with chronic physical illness with families of healthy children or test norms. Empirical studies were identified with the help of electronic databases and cross-referencing. Based on 325 included studies, random-effects meta-analysis was performed. Although most effect sizes were small or very small, the parent-child relationship tended to be less positive if a child had a chronic physical illness (g = -.16 standard deviation units). In addition, lower levels of parental responsiveness (emotional warmth; g = -.22) as well as higher levels of demandingness (control, monitoring; g = .18) and overprotection (g = .39) were observed in these families. However, effect sizes were heterogeneous and only significant for a limited number of diseases. There was also some evidence for higher levels of authoritarian (g = .24) and neglectful parenting (g = .51) as well as lower levels of authoritative parenting compared with families with healthy children (g = -.13). Effect sizes varied, in part, by length of illness, child age, rater, assessment method, and target of comparison. We conclude that most families with a child with chronic physical illness adapt well with regard to the parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors/styles. Nonetheless, some families of children with specific diseases-such as epilepsy, hearing impairment, and asthma-may have difficulties finding appropriate levels of protective behaviors, control, and parental warmth and building positive mutual relationships between parents and children.

Factors Promoting Mental Health of Adolescents Who Have a Parent with Mental Illness: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Van Loon, L M A; Van De Ven, M O M; Van Doesum, K T M; Hosman, C M H; Witteman, C L M

Children of parents with mental illness have an elevated risk of developing a range of mental health and psychosocial problems. Yet many of these children remain mentally healthy. The present study aimed to get insight into factors that protect these children from developing internalizing and externalizing problems. Several possible individual, parent-child, and family protective factors were examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a sample of 112 adolescents. A control group of 122 adolescents whose parents have no mental illness was included to explore whether the protective factors were different between adolescents with and without a parent with mental illness. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that high self-esteem and low use of passive coping strategies were related to fewer internalizing and externalizing problems. Greater self-disclosure was related to fewer internalizing problems and more parental monitoring was related to fewer externalizing problems. Active coping strategies, parental support, and family factors such as cohesion were unrelated to adolescent problem behavior. Longitudinal analyses showed that active coping, parental monitoring, and self-disclosure were protective against developing internalizing problems 2 years later. We found no protective factors for externalizing problems. Moderation analyses showed that the relationships between possible protective factors and adolescent problem behavior were not different for adolescents with and without a parent with mental illness. The findings suggest that adolescents' active coping strategies and parent-child communication may be promising factors to focus on in interventions aimed at preventing the development of internalizing problems by adolescents who have a parent with mental illness.

Practice Wisdom on Custodial Parenting with Mental Illness: A Strengths View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeman, Laura Dreuth; Buila, Sarah

2006-01-01

Social work principles of strengths, empowerment, and consumer-centered care for persons with mental illness are currently being adapted to broader contexts. This article presents study findings on practice wisdom about custodial parents with mental illness, a potentially increasing group of consumers in light of mental health reform. The research…

Is my child sick? Parents' management of signs of illness and experiences of the medical encounter: parents of recurrently sick children urge for more cooperation.

PubMed

Ertmann, Ruth K; Reventlow, Susanne; Söderström, Margareta

2011-03-01

Parents of sick children frequently visit their general practitioners (GPs). The aim was to explore parents' interpretation of their child's incipient signs and symptoms when falling ill and their subsequent unsatisfactory experience with the GP in order to make suggestions for improvements in the medical encounter. Semi-structured interviews. Twenty strategically selected families with a child from a birth cohort in Frederiksborg County, Denmark were interviewed. Parents wanted to consult their GP at the right time, i.e. neither too early nor too late. Well-educated parents experienced a discrepancy between their knowledge about their child, the information they had sought about the illness and the consultation with the GP, when they were dismissed with phrases such as "it will disappear" or "it is just a virus". The parents went along with the GP's advice if the child only occasionally became sick. However, parents of children with recurrent illnesses seemed very frustrated. During the course of several consultations with their GP, they started to question the GP's competence as the child did not regain health. Parents want to be acknowledged as competent collaborators. The GP's failure to acknowledge the parents' knowledge of their child's current illness, and the parents' attempt to identify what is wrong with the child and make the child feel better before the encounter may have consequences for the GP's credibility. It is therefore recommended that parents of children with recurrent illnesses receive extra attention and information.

Communal normalization in an online self-help group for adolescents with a mentally ill parent.

PubMed

Trondsen, Marianne V; Tjora, Aksel

2014-10-01

Although implications of parental mental illness are well documented, most children of mentally ill parents are left to manage their family situation with limited information and support. We explored the role of a Norwegian online self-help group for adolescents (aged 15 to 18) with a mentally ill parent. Through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, we found that the online self-help group provided "communal normalization" by which participants, through communication in the forum, made sense of everyday experiences and emotions arising from having a mentally ill parent. We identified three main aspects of this process-recognizability, openness, and agency-all of which were important for the adolescents' efforts to obtain support, to be supportive, and to handle everyday life situations better. Communal normalization might provide resources for significantly improving the participants' life situations, and could demonstrate similar potential for users in other situations characterized by stigma, loneliness, silence, and health worries. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dysfunctional remembered parenting in oncology outpatients affects psychological distress symptoms in a gender-specific manner.

PubMed

Kouzoupis, Anastasios V; Lyrakos, Dimitrios; Kokras, Nikolaos; Panagiotarakou, Meropi; Syrigos, Kostas N; Papadimitriou, George N

2012-12-01

Evidence suggests that gender differences appear in a variety of biological and psychological responses to stress and perhaps in coping with acute and chronic illness as well. Dysfunctional parenting is also thought to be involved in the process of coping with stress and illness; hence, the present study aimed to verify whether dysfunctional remembered parenting would influence psychological distress in a gender-specific manner in patients suffering from cancer. Patients attending an outpatient oncology clinic completed the Remembered Relationships with Parents (RRP), Hospital Anxiety and Depression and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scales and the National Cancer Center Network Distress Thermometer. Although no baseline gender differences were detected, a multivariate analysis confirmed that anxiety and depression symptoms of men and women suffering from cancer are differentially affected by the RRP Control and Alienation scores. Women with remembered parental alienation and overprotection showed significantly more anxiety symptoms than men, whereas men were more vulnerable to remembered alienation than overprotection with regard to the Distress Thermometer scores. These results suggest that remembered dysfunctional parenting is crucially, and in a gender-specific manner, involved in the coping strategy adopted by male and female cancer patients. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness.

PubMed

Eccleston, Christopher; Fisher, Emma; Law, Emily; Bartlett, Jess; Palermo, Tonya M

2015-04-15

Psychological therapies have been developed for parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Such therapies include interventions directed at the parent only or at parent and child/adolescent, and are designed to improve parent, child, and family outcomes. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 8, 2012, (Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness). To evaluate the efficacy of psychological therapies that include parents of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses including painful conditions, cancer, diabetes mellitus, asthma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), skin diseases, or gynaecological disorders. We also aimed to evaluate the adverse events related to implementation of psychological therapies for this population. Secondly, we aimed to evaluate the risk of bias of included studies and the quality of outcomes using the GRADE assessment. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions that included parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Databases were searched to July 2014. Included studies were RCTs of psychological interventions that delivered treatment to parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness compared to an active control, waiting list, or treatment as usual control group. Study characteristics and outcomes were extracted from included studies. We analysed data using two categories. First, we analysed data by each individual medical condition collapsing across all treatment classes at two time points. Second, we analysed data by each individual treatment class; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family therapy (FT), problem solving therapy (PST) and multisystemic therapy (MST) collapsing across all medical conditions. For both sets of analyses we looked

Is my child sick? Parents' management of signs of illness and experiences of the medical encounter: Parents of recurrently sick children urge for more cooperation

PubMed Central

Ertmann, Ruth K.; Reventlow, Susanne; Söderström, Margareta

2011-01-01

Objectives Parents of sick children frequently visit their general practitioners (GPs). The aim was to explore parents' interpretation of their child's incipient signs and symptoms when falling ill and their subsequent unsatisfactory experience with the GP in order to make suggestions for improvements in the medical encounter. Design Semi-structured interviews. Setting and subjects Twenty strategically selected families with a child from a birth cohort in Frederiksborg County, Denmark were interviewed. Results Parents wanted to consult their GP at the right time, i.e. neither too early nor too late. Well-educated parents experienced a discrepancy between their knowledge about their child, the information they had sought about the illness and the consultation with the GP, when they were dismissed with phrases such as “it will disappear” or “it is just a virus”. The parents went along with the GP's advice if the child only occasionally became sick. However, parents of children with recurrent illnesses seemed very frustrated. During the course of several consultations with their GP, they started to question the GP's competence as the child did not regain health. Conclusions Parents want to be acknowledged as competent collaborators. The GP's failure to acknowledge the parents' knowledge of their child's current illness, and the parents' attempt to identify what is wrong with the child and make the child feel better before the encounter may have consequences for the GP's credibility. It is therefore recommended that parents of children with recurrent illnesses receive extra attention and information. PMID:21080763

Substance Abuse in Children of Parents with Mental Illness: Risks, Resiliency, and Best Prevention Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mowbray, Carol T.; Oyserman, Daphna

2003-01-01

Reviews published research on the effects of parental mental illness diagnosis or symptoms on childhood substance abuse. Risk and protective factors for developing a substance use or related disorder in these children are summarized. Recommendations for substance abuse prevention in children of parents with mental illness are presented and used to…

Parenting Mediates the Impact of Caregivers' Distress on Children's Well-Being in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Chi, Peilian; Li, Xiaoming; Tam, Cheuk Chi; Du, Hongfei; Guoxiang, Zhao; Zhao, Junfeng

2015-01-01

Parental illness imposes great challenges to children's life and mental health. Having a parent infected by HIV may further challenge children's psychological well-being. Existing studies have demonstrated a negative impact of caregiver's distress on children's well-being. Limited studies examined the potential pathways of the link. This study aims to examine whether parenting stress, parenting competence and parental responsiveness can explain the relationship between caregivers' distress and children's well-being. A community sample of children of parents living with HIV and their current caregivers (n = 754 dyads) was recruited in rural central China. Children completed the measures on their psychological well-being and perceived parental responsiveness of their caregivers. Caregivers reported on their psychological well-being, parenting stress, and parenting competence. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that caregivers' distress indirectly affect children's well-being through parenting stress, parenting competence and parental responsiveness. Parenting stress explained the impact of caregiver's distress on parental responsiveness and showed pervasive effects on parenting competence. Our findings lend credence to family-based intervention for children affected by HIV and affirm the importance of incorporating the cognitive, emotional and behavioral components of parenting practices in such intervention. PMID:26078116

Reflections of Adults on Their School Experiences Growing up with a Severely Mentally Ill Parent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leahy, Marie A.

2013-01-01

More than five million children in the United States have a parent suffering from a severe mental illness and these children have specific experiences and needs, particularly in school. Children of mentally ill parents are at greater risk of being neglected and of developing psychological, social, emotional, and behavioral problems. They often…

An Internet discussion board for parents of mentally ill young children.

PubMed

Scharer, Kathleen

2005-01-01

This paper reports parents' use of electronic bulletin board for social support during a pilot study of an Internet intervention. Parents participated for a mean of 13.83 weeks. The convenience sample consisted of six parents. Data were from site access information and parents' postings. Excluding one mother who checked frequently for messages, mothers have an average of 5.2 postings. Excluding this one mother, the postings/ accesses ratio was greater than 60%. Parents made postings in four categories of "child's illness" having 37 comments and 36 comments for "group maintenance". While the study findings cannot be generalized, these results suggest that parents will use electronic discussion boards.

[Children of mentally ill parents. A study of problem awareness in clinical routine practice].

PubMed

Bohus, M; Schehr, K; Berger-Sallawitz, F; Novelli-Fischer, U; Stieglitz, R D; Berger, M

1998-05-01

The risk of developing clinically relevant psychiatric disorders in the lifetime course is significantly greater among children of mentally ill parents. A child-adapted programme of information concerning the nature and symptomatology of parental illness is considered to be an important preventive factor, and lies within the domain of the psychiatrist's or therapist's responsibilities. During the developmental phase of a prevention project at Freiburg University's Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, both clinical practice and the level of problem awareness among patients and the therapists were evaluated. Over a period of one year, consecutive interviews involving 114 patients with children under 18 years of age, as well as their respective therapists, were conducted. The results showed that: scarcely any exchanges between children and therapists took place; the extent to which children are informed about parental illness must be considered as small; a high percentage of such children are already evaluated by their parents as disturbed, and the pressing need for support exists.

Age at Onset of Bipolar Disorder Related to Parental and Grandparental Illness Burden.

PubMed

Post, Robert M; Altshuler, Lori L; Kupka, Ralph; McElroy, Susan L; Frye, Mark A; Rowe, Michael; Grunze, Heinz; Suppes, Trisha; Keck, Paul E; Leverich, Gabriele S; Nolen, Willem A

2016-10-01

The age at onset of bipolar disorder varies greatly in different countries and continents. The association between load of family history of psychiatric illness and age at onset has not been adequately explored. 979 outpatients with bipolar disorder (from 4 sites in the United States and 3 in the Netherlands and Germany) gave informed consent and completed a questionnaire about their demographics, age at onset of illness, and family history of unipolar and bipolar disorder, alcohol and substance abuse comorbidity, suicide attempts, and "other" illnesses in their parents, 4 grandparents, and any offspring. We examined how the parental and grandparental burden of these illnesses related to the age at onset of the patients' bipolar disorder. The burden of family psychiatric history was strongly related to an earlier age at onset of illness in both US and European patients (F₃,₉₀₆ = 35.42, P < .0001). However, compared to the Europeans, patients in the United States had both more family history of most difficulties and notably earlier age at onset. Earlier age at onset was associated with a greater illness burden in the patient's offspring (t₅₆₈ = 4.1, P < .0001). More parental and grandparental psychiatric illness was associated with an earlier age at onset of bipolar disorder, which is earlier in the United States compared with Europe and is strongly related to a poor long-term prognosis. This apparent polygenic contribution to early onset deserves further study and therapeutic attempts at ameliorating the transgenerational impact. © Copyright 2016 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Extracurricular interest as a resilience building block for children affected by parental HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Zhao, Junfeng; Chi, Peilian; Li, Xiaoming; Tam, Cheuk Chi; Zhao, Guoxiang

2014-01-01

Parental illness and death due to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) impose challenges to children's psychological adjustment. Positive psychology emphasizes individual's resilience in the face of adversity, trauma, and tragedy. Limited data are available regarding the factors that can cultivate resilience of children affected by HIV/AIDS. This study aims to examine the role of extracurricular interest in strengthening resilience among children affected by HIV/AIDS. Participants included 755 children orphaned by parental HIV/AIDS, 466 vulnerable children living with HIV-positive parent(s), and 404 comparison children from HIV-free families in the same community in rural China. The measures include extracurricular interest (i.e., reading, sports, music, painting, science, and playing chess) and indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., depression, loneliness, and self-esteem). Having extracurricular interest was positively associated with self-esteem and negatively associated with depression and loneliness. Having extracurricular interest attenuated the negative effect of parental HIV/AIDS on children's self-esteem and loneliness, after controlling for children's age, gender, and family socioeconomic status. The findings underscore the importance of nurturing extracurricular interest and make available of such activities to promote resilience for children affected by HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings.

Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness

PubMed Central

Eccleston, Christopher; Fisher, Emma; Law, Emily; Bartlett, Jess; Palermo, Tonya M

2016-01-01

Background Psychological therapies have been developed for parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Such therapies include interventions directed at the parent only or at parent and child/adolescent, and are designed to improve parent, child, and family outcomes. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 8, 2012, (Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness). Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of psychological therapies that include parents of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses including painful conditions, cancer, diabetes mellitus, asthma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), skin diseases, or gynaecological disorders. We also aimed to evaluate the adverse events related to implementation of psychological therapies for this population. Secondly, we aimed to evaluate the risk of bias of included studies and the quality of outcomes using the GRADE assessment. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions that included parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Databases were searched to July 2014. Selection criteria Included studies were RCTs of psychological interventions that delivered treatment to parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness compared to an active control, waiting list, or treatment as usual control group. Data collection and analysis Study characteristics and outcomes were extracted from included studies. We analysed data using two categories. First, we analysed data by each individual medical condition collapsing across all treatment classes at two time points. Second, we analysed data by each individual treatment class; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family therapy (FT), problem solving therapy (PST) and multisystemic therapy

Children's and young people's experiences of a parent's critical illness and admission to the intensive care unit: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

PubMed

MacEachnie, Lise H; Larsen, Hanne B; Egerod, Ingrid

2018-04-27

Little is known about how children and young people experience and manage the critical illness of a parent and a parent's admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to search and interpret the existing literature describing children's and young people's experiences of a parent's illness trajectory in the ICU. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted based on a systematic literature search of online databases. Four main themes were identified and synthesised to describe the integrated experiences of children and young people: (a) the parent-child bond, (b) the unfamiliar environment, (c) the impact of the illness and (d) the experience of being overseen as close family members. Experiencing a parent's critical illness and admittance to the ICU is overwhelming. The bond between the parent and child is exposed by the separation from the ill parent. To comprehend and manage the experience, children and young people seek information depending on their individual capacities. They express a need to be close to their ill parent and to be seen and approached as close members of the family. However, children experience being overseen in their needs for support during their parent's ICU illness with the risk of being left in loneliness, sadness and lack of understanding of the parent's illness. Children and young people as relatives need to be acknowledged as close members of the family, when facing the illness trajectory of a parent, who is admitted to the ICU. They need to be seen as close family members and to be approached in their needs for support in order to promote their well-being during a family illness crisis. Early supportive interventions tailored to include children of the intensive care patient are recommended. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The parental monitoring of diabetes care scale: development, reliability and validity of a scale to evaluate parental supervision of adolescent illness management.

PubMed

Ellis, Deborah A; Templin, Thomas N; Podolski, Cheryl-Lynn; Frey, Maureen A; Naar-King, Sylvie; Moltz, Kathleen

2008-02-01

Monitoring of adolescents' behavior and whereabouts has been repeatedly identified as an important predictor of adolescent behavioral outcomes. However, to date, measures of parental supervision and monitoring are lacking in the chronic illness literature. The present study describes development and initial evaluation of a measure of parental monitoring of the illness management of adolescents with diabetes: the Parental Monitoring of Diabetes Care scale (PMDC). Ninety-nine parents of 12-18-year-old children with type 1 diabetes completed the PMDC. Measures of illness management and metabolic control were also obtained. The PMDC demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha coefficient = .81) and test-rest reliability (ICC = .80). Supporting the instrument's construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a five subdomain structure had an acceptable fit to the data, [chi(2) (181.65)/df (126) = 1.44, Bollen-Stine chi(2) = 165.03, p = .32, comparative fit index (CFI) = .91, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .07]. In structural equation models, parental monitoring as assessed by the PMDC had a significant direct effect on adolescent diabetes management, accounting for 38% of the variance. Parental monitoring also had a significant indirect effect on metabolic control. The PMDC represents an important first step in the development of measures of parental monitoring for use with adolescents with chronic medical conditions.

Effect of Preventive Interventions in Mentally Ill Parents on the Mental Health of the Offspring: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegenthaler, Eliane; Munder, Thomas; Egger, Matthias

2012-01-01

Objective: Mental illness in parents affects the mental health of their children. A systematic review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of interventions to prevent mental disorders or psychological symptoms in the offspring were performed. Method: The Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched for randomized controlled…

Toward Conceptual Clarity in a Critical Parenting Construct: Parental Monitoring in Youth with Chronic Illness

PubMed Central

Templin, Thomas N.; Naar-King, Sylvie; Frey, Maureen A.

2008-01-01

Parental monitoring has been defined as “a set of correlated parenting behaviors involving attention to and tracking of the child's whereabouts, activities, and adaptations.” This construct is of significant interest due to its relatedness to a broad range of youth risk behaviors, including risky sexual behavior, substance abuse, and poor adherence. However, to date, measures of parental monitoring are largely absent from the chronic illness literature. The present article focuses upon two key problems in the operationalization of the monitoring construct to date: (a) poor conceptual specificity in parenting constructs such as monitoring, overprotection, and over-involvement when used to date among youth with chronic conditions and (b) the confounding of existing measures of parental monitoring with items evaluating parental knowledge of youth activities, which has resulted in a lack of data regarding the mechanisms by which parents obtain their information. Recommendations for the future development of monitoring measures are discussed. PMID:18467352

Mental illness and parenthood: being a parent in secure psychiatric care.

PubMed

Parrott, Fiona R; Macinnes, Douglas L; Parrott, Janet

2015-12-10

Research into parenting and mental illness seldom includes forensic mental health service users, despite its relevance to therapeutic, family work and risk management. This study aimed to understand the experiences of parents and the variety of parenting roles maintained during admission to a secure forensic hospital. Narrative interviews with 18 parents (eight mothers and 10 fathers) at an English medium security hospital were analysed thematically, using the framework approach. The proportion of patients who are parents and their contact patterns with their children were estimated from records. About a quarter of men and 38% of women were parents. Parenthood was of central importance to their emotional life, spanning experiences of loss, shame and failed expectations, joy, responsibility and hope. Fewer fathers maintained contact with their children than mothers yet fatherhood remained a vital aspect of men's identities, with impact on their self-esteem. Parenting during lengthy admissions--while constrained and dependent on professional support and surveillance--ranged from sending gifts and money to visits and phone calls. Offending was seen as a particularly shameful aspect of admission, contributing to distancing from the children and difficulty explaining detention to them. Such complex experiences call for multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. Provision of focused therapy, as well as appropriate visiting spaces, creative approaches to contact time and support for patients in explaining their mental illness and detention to their children are recommended. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Organisational systems and services for children of parents with mental illness and their families: processes of change and sustainability.

PubMed

Owen, Susanne

2010-09-01

Adult mental illness in the community including depression and anxiety has achieved greater public awareness and visibility in recent years and this has also resulted in increased recognition about the widespread impact on dependent children. During the past decade in Australia, policies and specific programs for infants, children and youth in terms of prevention, early intervention and promotion in relation to children of parents with a mental illness ('copmi') have been devised. However, these have generally been disconnected projects, essentially supported only by non-recurrent funding. In more recent years, systematic and interconnected responses involving a wider range of government, non-government and consumer and carer organisations to build sustainability have become the focus. However, little research about change processes affecting the organisational systems serving children of parents with mental illness and their families has been undertaken. This aim of the current study is to describe the enablers and barriers that contribute to change in systems and government and non-government organisations in relation to children of parents with a mental illness in Australia over the past decade, within the context of sustainability. The study involved interviews, focus groups and website and literature searches regarding systems change across Australian states and territories and nationally in relation to the enablers, barriers and future directions. Strategic and intentional processes within organisations, more evolutionary ongoing cross-agency processes and links to sustained changes are key systems change findings. Relevance for change in other health services is highlighted.

Implementing new routines in adult mental health care to identify and support children of mentally ill parents.

PubMed

Lauritzen, Camilla; Reedtz, Charlotte; Van Doesum, Karin T M; Martinussen, Monica

2014-02-07

Mental health problems are often transmitted from one generation to the next. This knowledge has led to changes in Norwegian legislation, making it mandatory to assess whether or not patients have children, and to provide necessary support for the children of mentally ill patients. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the process of implementing new routines in adult mental health services to identify and support children of mentally ill parents. The design was a pre-test post-test study. The sample (N = 219 at pre-test and N = 185 at post-test) included mental health professionals in the largest hospital in the region, who responded to a web-based survey on the routines of the services, attitudes within the workforce capacity, worker's knowledge on the impact of parental mental illness on children, knowledge on legislation concerning children of patients, and demographic variables. The results of this study indicated that some changes are taking place in clinical practice in terms of increased identification of children. Adult mental health services providing support for the children was however not fully implemented as a new practice. The main finding in this study is that the identification frequency had increased significantly according to self-reported data since the Family Assessment Form was implemented. The increase in self-reported identification behavior is however taking place very slowly. Three years after the legislation was changed to making it mandatory to assess whether or not patients have children, it was still not fully incorporated in the routines of the entire workforce. In terms of support for the families affected by parental mental illness, the changes are not yet significant.

Exploration of the short-term and long-term effects of parental illness on children's educational and behavioral functioning using a large Taiwanese sample.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Chi

2014-05-01

This study used data from Waves I and II of the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS) to explore the potential short-term and long-term effects of parental illness and health condition on children's behavioral and educational functioning. A sample of 11,018 junior high school students and their parents and teachers in Taiwan were included in this present study. The results supported previous work that parental illness may place children at slight risk for poor psychosocial adjustment and behavioral problems. Parental illness was associated with lower adaptive skills and more behavioral problems in children. Children of ill parents showed resilience in their educational functioning in the event of parental illness as children's academic achievement and learning skills were not related to parental illness/health condition.

Family Routines and Parental Monitoring as Protective Factors Among Early and Middle Adolescents Affected by Maternal HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Murphy, Debra A.; Marelich, William D.; Herbeck, Diane M.; Payne, Diana L.

2011-01-01

The influence of parenting skills on adolescent outcomes among children affected by maternal HIV/AIDS (N = 118, M age = 13) was investigated. Among families with more frequent family routines, over time adolescents showed lower rates of aggression, anxiety, worry, depression, conduct disorder, binge drinking, and increased self-concept. Among families with higher levels of parental monitoring, adolescents showed significant declines in anxiety and depression, conduct disorder, and binge drinking, along with increased self-concept. Mothers’ level of illness was associated with parenting. Greater variability in parental monitoring resulted in higher levels of problem behaviors. PMID:19930345

Defining Quality of Life in the Children of Parents with Severe Mental Illness: A Preliminary Stakeholder-Led Model

PubMed Central

Bee, Penny; Berzins, Kathryn; Calam, Rachel; Pryjmachuk, Steven; Abel, Kathryn M.

2013-01-01

Severe parental mental illness poses a challenge to quality of life (QoL) in a substantial number of children and adolescents, and improving the lives of these children is of urgent political and public health concern. This study used a bottom-up qualitative approach to develop a new stakeholder-led model of quality of life relevant to this population. Qualitative data were collected from 19 individuals participating in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants comprised 8 clinical academics, health and social care professionals or voluntary agency representatives; 5 parents and 6 young people (aged 13–18 yrs) with lived experience of severe parental mental illness. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis for the purposes of informing a population-specific quality of life model. Fifty nine individual themes were identified and grouped into 11 key ‘meta-themes’. Mapping each meta-theme against existing child-centred quality of life concepts revealed a multi-dimensional model that endorsed, to a greater or lesser degree, the core domains of generic quality of life models. Three new population-specific priorities were also observed: i) the alleviation of parental mental health symptoms, ii) improved problem-based coping skills and iii) increased mental health literacy. The identification of these priorities raises questions regarding the validity of generic quality of life measures to monitor the effectiveness of services for families and children affected by severe mental illness. New, age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by the children of parents with severe mental illness may need to be developed. Challenges then remain in augmenting and adapting service design and delivery mechanisms better to meet these needs. Future child and adult mental health services need to work seamlessly alongside statutory education and social care services and a growing number of relevant third sector

Defining quality of life in the children of parents with severe mental illness: a preliminary stakeholder-led model.

PubMed

Bee, Penny; Berzins, Kathryn; Calam, Rachel; Pryjmachuk, Steven; Abel, Kathryn M

2013-01-01

Severe parental mental illness poses a challenge to quality of life (QoL) in a substantial number of children and adolescents, and improving the lives of these children is of urgent political and public health concern. This study used a bottom-up qualitative approach to develop a new stakeholder-led model of quality of life relevant to this population. Qualitative data were collected from 19 individuals participating in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants comprised 8 clinical academics, health and social care professionals or voluntary agency representatives; 5 parents and 6 young people (aged 13-18 yrs) with lived experience of severe parental mental illness. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis for the purposes of informing a population-specific quality of life model. Fifty nine individual themes were identified and grouped into 11 key 'meta-themes'. Mapping each meta-theme against existing child-centred quality of life concepts revealed a multi-dimensional model that endorsed, to a greater or lesser degree, the core domains of generic quality of life models. Three new population-specific priorities were also observed: i) the alleviation of parental mental health symptoms, ii) improved problem-based coping skills and iii) increased mental health literacy. The identification of these priorities raises questions regarding the validity of generic quality of life measures to monitor the effectiveness of services for families and children affected by severe mental illness. New, age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by the children of parents with severe mental illness may need to be developed. Challenges then remain in augmenting and adapting service design and delivery mechanisms better to meet these needs. Future child and adult mental health services need to work seamlessly alongside statutory education and social care services and a growing number of relevant third sector providers to

[KIPKEL--an interdisciplinary ambulatory prevention project for children with mentally ill parents].

PubMed

Staets, S; Hipp, M

2001-09-01

Children of psychiatrically ill parents up to now have hardly been perceived as a risk group. In order to prevent these children form becoming psychiatrically ill the practice for art-therapy and psychotherapy and the social psychiatric service of the city of Hilden have developed a programme for parents having children under 18 years of age in which at least one parent suffers from endogenous psychosis or severe personality disorder. The two initiators of the KIPKEL project describe the experiences they had during the preparatory phase and while securing the financial basis and building up solid structures of cooperation. The conceptual basis of the project and problems of practical realization are presented. Finally an example of a family who participated in the programme is given. It illustrates the complex arrangement of interpersonal relationship and the course of the carework.

Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

PubMed

Fearnley, Rachel; Boland, Jason W

2017-03-01

Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family's needs would help ensure appropriate support. To find the current literature exploring (1) how parents with a life-limiting illness, who have dependent children, perceive health-care professionals' communication with them about the illness, diagnosis and treatments, including how social, practical and emotional support is offered to them and (2) how this contributes to the parents' feelings of supporting their children. A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ASSIA ProQuest were searched in November 2015 for studies assessing communication between health-care professionals and parents about how to talk with their children about the parent's illness. There were 1342 records identified, five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria (55 ill parents, 11 spouses/carers, 26 children and 16 health-care professionals). Parents wanted information from health-care professionals about how to talk to their children about the illness; this was not routinely offered. Children also want to talk with a health-care professional about their parents' illness. Health-care professionals are concerned that conversations with parents and their children will be too difficult and time-consuming. Parents with a life-limiting illness want support from their health-care professionals about how to communicate with their children about the illness. Their children look to health-care professionals for information about their parent's illness. Health-care professionals, have an important role but appear reluctant to address these concerns because of fears of insufficient time and expertise.

Living in the fallout: parents' experiences when their child becomes mentally ill.

PubMed

Mohr, W K; Regan-Kubinski, M J

2001-04-01

Parental loss of a child to mental illness and the resulting grief is a relatively unacknowledged phenomenon. This study aimed to capture the process through which parents journey in the face of their child's mental illness. Conducting a series of focus groups, the authors sought to further the understanding and the needs of these families. They identify seven themes from initial awareness to the formation of a new stability. Identification of this grief process is an important step that can heighten practitioners' awareness so that future interventions and support systems can be developed to help these families deal with their pain and burden. Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.

The Stigmatization of Mental Illness in Children and Parents. Data Trends #124

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, 2005

2005-01-01

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" reviews theory and research on stigma and mental health with a focus on the stigmatization of mental illness in the family when either a child or a parent has a mental illness.…

Parental Presence at the Bedside of Critically Ill Children in a Unit With Unrestricted Visitation.

PubMed

Foster, Jennifer R; AlOthmani, Farhana I; Seabrook, Jamie A; AlOfisan, Tariq; AlGarni, Yasser M; Sarpal, Amrita

2018-06-11

To determine the percentage of time that critically ill children have a parent at the bedside and to identify extrinsic factors that are associated with percent of time with parental presence at the bedside. Prospective cohort study. PICU in a single tertiary care children's hospital. Primary two parents of all children admitted to the PICU on 12 preselected days during a 1-year period from 2014 to 2015. None. A total of 111 observations of 108 unique PICU admissions and families were performed. Children had at least one parent present a mean of 58.2% (SD, 34.6%) of the time. Mothers spent more time at the bedside (56.3% [SD, 31.0%]) than fathers (37.3% [SD, 29.5%]) (p = 0.0001). Percent of time with parental presence at the bedside was positively correlated with age (rs = 0.23; p = 0.02) and negatively associated with Pediatric Risk of Mortality III score (rs = -0.26; p = 0.01). Percent of time with parental presence at the bedside was lower for children who were mechanically ventilated (42.8% [SD, 35.5%]) than not (64.5% [SD, 32.2%]) (p = 0.01) and whose parent(s) were single (45.5% [SD, 27.5%]) or cohabitating/common-law (35.7% [SD, 26.4%]) compared with parents who were married (64.2% [SD, 34.2%]) or separated/divorced (68.3% [SD, 28.8%]) (p = 0.02). Percent of time with parental presence at the bedside was higher for children with chronic illnesses (63.4% [SD, 32.9%] vs 50.1% [SD, 35.8%] without; p = 0.04), when there was a bed in the patient room (61.4% [SD, 34.0%] vs 32.5% [SD, 28.3%] without; p = 0.01), and when parents slept in the patient room (90.3% [SD, 11.2%]) compared with their own home (37.6% [SD, 34.4%]) (p < 0.0001). Percent of time with parental presence at the bedside was not correlated with day of PICU stay, number of siblings, previous PICU admission, isolation status, or nursing ratio. Children had a parent present at the bedside approximately 60% of the time. The parents of younger, sicker children may benefit from supportive interventions

Mental illness and parenthood: being a parent in secure psychiatric care

PubMed Central

Parrott, Fiona R; Macinnes, Douglas l; Parrott, Janet

2015-01-01

Background Research into parenting and mental illness seldom includes forensic mental health service users, despite its relevance to therapeutic, family work and risk management. Aims This study aimed to understand the experiences of parents and the variety of parenting roles maintained during admission to a secure forensic hospital. Methods Narrative interviews with 18 parents (eight mothers and 10 fathers) at an English medium security hospital were analysed thematically, using the framework approach. The proportion of patients who are parents and their contact patterns with their children were estimated from records. Results About a quarter of men and 38% of women were parents. Parenthood was of central importance to their emotional life, spanning experiences of loss, shame and failed expectations, joy, responsibility and hope. Fewer fathers maintained contact with their children than mothers yet fatherhood remained a vital aspect of men's identities, with impact on their self-esteem. Parenting during lengthy admissions – while constrained and dependent on professional support and surveillance – ranged from sending gifts and money to visits and phone calls. Offending was seen as a particularly shameful aspect of admission, contributing to distancing from the children and difficulty explaining detention to them. Conclusions Such complex experiences call for multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. Provision of focused therapy, as well as appropriate visiting spaces, creative approaches to contact time and support for patients in explaining their mental illness and detention to their children are recommended. © 2015 The Authors. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:25754133

Parental Explicit Heuristics in Decision-making for Children With Life-threatening Illnesses

PubMed Central

Renjilian, Chris B.; Womer, James W.; Carroll, Karen W.; Kang, Tammy I.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To identify and illustrate common explicit heuristics (decision-making aids or shortcuts expressed verbally as terse rules of thumb, aphorisms, maxims, or mantras and intended to convey a compelling truth or guiding principle) used by parents of children with life-threatening illnesses when confronting and making medical decisions. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional observational study of 69 parents of 46 children who participated in the Decision-making in Pediatric Palliative Care Study between 2006 and 2008 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Parents were guided individually through a semistructured in-depth interview about their experiences and thoughts regarding making medical decisions on behalf of their ill children, and the transcribed interviews were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: All parents in our study employed explicit heuristics in interviews about decision-making for their children, with the number of identified explicit heuristics used by an individual parent ranging from tens to hundreds. The heuristics served 5 general functions: (1) to depict or facilitate understanding of a complex situation; (2) to clarify, organize, and focus pertinent information and values; (3) to serve as a decision-making compass; (4) to communicate with others about a complex topic; and (5) to justify a choice. CONCLUSIONS: Explicit heuristics played an important role in decision-making and communication about decision-making in our population of parents. Recognizing explicit heuristics in parent interactions and understanding their content and functions can aid clinicians in their efforts to partner with parents in the decision-making process. PMID:23319524

Parental explicit heuristics in decision-making for children with life-threatening illnesses.

PubMed

Renjilian, Chris B; Womer, James W; Carroll, Karen W; Kang, Tammy I; Feudtner, Chris

2013-02-01

To identify and illustrate common explicit heuristics (decision-making aids or shortcuts expressed verbally as terse rules of thumb, aphorisms, maxims, or mantras and intended to convey a compelling truth or guiding principle) used by parents of children with life-threatening illnesses when confronting and making medical decisions. Prospective cross-sectional observational study of 69 parents of 46 children who participated in the Decision-making in Pediatric Palliative Care Study between 2006 and 2008 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Parents were guided individually through a semistructured in-depth interview about their experiences and thoughts regarding making medical decisions on behalf of their ill children, and the transcribed interviews were qualitatively analyzed. All parents in our study employed explicit heuristics in interviews about decision-making for their children, with the number of identified explicit heuristics used by an individual parent ranging from tens to hundreds. The heuristics served 5 general functions: (1) to depict or facilitate understanding of a complex situation; (2) to clarify, organize, and focus pertinent information and values; (3) to serve as a decision-making compass; (4) to communicate with others about a complex topic; and (5) to justify a choice. Explicit heuristics played an important role in decision-making and communication about decision-making in our population of parents. Recognizing explicit heuristics in parent interactions and understanding their content and functions can aid clinicians in their efforts to partner with parents in the decision-making process.

Problems faced and coping strategies used by adolescents with mentally ill parents in Delhi.

PubMed

George, Shoba; Shaiju, Bindu; Sharma, Veena

2012-01-01

The present study was conducted to assess the problems faced by adolescents whose parents suffer from major mental illness at selected mental health institutes of Delhi. The objectives also included assessment of the coping strategies of the adolescents in dealing with these problems. The Stuart Stress Adaptation Model of Psychiatric Nursing Care was used as the conceptual framework. A descriptive survey approach with cross-sectional design was used in the study. A structured interview schedule was prepared. Purposive non-probability sampling technique was employed to interview 50 adolescents whose parents suffer from major mental illness. Data gathered was analysed and interpreted using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that majority of the adolescents had moderate problems as a result of their parent's mental illness. Area-wise analysis of the problems revealed that the highest problems faced were in family relationship and support and majority of the adolescents used maladaptive coping strategies. A set of guidelines on effective coping strategies was disseminated to these adolescents.

Mental Illness in the Peripartum Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ostler, Teresa

2009-01-01

Women are particularly vulnerable in the peripartum period for either developing a mental illness or suffering symptom exacerbation. These illnesses are often experienced covertly, however, and women may not seek out professional help, even though their symptoms may be seriously affecting their well-being and parenting. This article provides an…

Implementing new routines in adult mental health care to identify and support children of mentally ill parents

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Mental health problems are often transmitted from one generation to the next. This knowledge has led to changes in Norwegian legislation, making it mandatory to assess whether or not patients have children, and to provide necessary support for the children of mentally ill patients. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the process of implementing new routines in adult mental health services to identify and support children of mentally ill parents. Methods The design was a pre-test post-test study. The sample (N = 219 at pre-test and N = 185 at post-test) included mental health professionals in the largest hospital in the region, who responded to a web-based survey on the routines of the services, attitudes within the workforce capacity, worker’s knowledge on the impact of parental mental illness on children, knowledge on legislation concerning children of patients, and demographic variables. Results The results of this study indicated that some changes are taking place in clinical practice in terms of increased identification of children. Adult mental health services providing support for the children was however not fully implemented as a new practice. Conclusion The main finding in this study is that the identification frequency had increased significantly according to self-reported data since the Family Assessment Form was implemented. The increase in self-reported identification behavior is however taking place very slowly. Three years after the legislation was changed to making it mandatory to assess whether or not patients have children, it was still not fully incorporated in the routines of the entire workforce. In terms of support for the families affected by parental mental illness, the changes are not yet significant. PMID:24507566

Online Group Course for Parents With Mental Illness: Development and Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Speetjens, Paula AM; Arntz, Karlijn SE; Onrust, Simone A

2010-01-01

Background Children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) are at greater risk of developing mental disorders themselves. Since impaired parenting skills appear to be a crucial factor, we developed a facilitated 8-session preventative group course called KopOpOuders (Chin Up, Parents) delivered via the Internet to Dutch parents with psychiatric problems. The goal was to promote children’s well-being by strengthening children’s protective factors via their parents. To reach parents at an early stage of their parenting difficulties, the course is easily accessible online. The course is delivered in a secure chat room, and participation is anonymous. Objective This paper reports on (1) the design and method of this online group course and (2) the results of a pilot study that assessed parenting skills, parental sense of competence, child well-being, and course satisfaction. Method The pilot study had a pre/post design. Parenting skills were assessed using Laxness and Overreactivity subscales of the Parenting Scale (PS). Sense of parenting competence was measured with the Ouderlijke Opvattingen over Opvoeding (OOO) questionnaire, a Dutch scale assessing parental perceptions of parenting using the Feelings of Incompetence and Feelings of Competence subscales. Child well-being was assessed with the total problem score, Emotional Problems, and Hyperactivity subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Paired samples t tests were performed, and Cohen’s d was used to determine effect sizes. Intention-to-treat analyses and analyses of completers only were both performed. Course satisfaction was evaluated using custom-designed questionnaires. Results The sample comprised 48 parents with mental illness. The response rate was 100% (48/48) at pretest and 58% (28/48) at posttest. Significant improvements were found on PS Laxness and Overreactivity subscales (P < .01) and on the OOO Feelings of Incompetence and Competence subscales (P < .01) in analysis

Online group course for parents with mental illness: development and pilot study.

PubMed

van der Zanden, Rianne A P; Speetjens, Paula A M; Arntz, Karlijn S E; Onrust, Simone A

2010-12-19

Children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) are at greater risk of developing mental disorders themselves. Since impaired parenting skills appear to be a crucial factor, we developed a facilitated 8-session preventative group course called KopOpOuders (Chin Up, Parents) delivered via the Internet to Dutch parents with psychiatric problems. The goal was to promote children's well-being by strengthening children's protective factors via their parents. To reach parents at an early stage of their parenting difficulties, the course is easily accessible online. The course is delivered in a secure chat room, and participation is anonymous. This paper reports on (1) the design and method of this online the group course and (2) the results of a pilot study that assessed parenting skills, parental sense of competence, child well-being, and course satisfaction. The pilot study had a pre/post design. Parenting skills were assessed using Laxness and Overreactivity subscales of the Parenting Scale (PS). Sense of parenting competence was measured with the Ouderlijke Opvattingen over Opvoeding (OOO) questionnaire, a Dutch scale assessing parental perceptions of parenting using the Feelings of Incompetence and Feelings of Competence subscales. Child well-being was assessed with the total problem score, Emotional Problems, and Hyperactivity subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Paired samples t tests were performed, and Cohen's d was used to determine effect sizes. Intention-to-treat analyses and analyses of completers only were both performed. Course satisfaction was evaluated using custom-designed questionnaires. The sample comprised 48 parents with mental illness. The response rate was 100% (48/48) at pretest and 58% (28/48) at posttest. Significant improvements were found on PS Laxness and Overreactivity subscales (P < .01) and on the OOO Feelings of Incompetence and Competence subscales (P < .01) in analysis of completers only as well as by

The views and experiences of severely mentally ill mothers--a qualitative study.

PubMed

Diaz-Caneja, Angeles; Johnson, Sonia

2004-06-01

The majority of women with severe mental illness are mothers. Little is known about their experiences and the extent to which their needs are met. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 22 women with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or severe depression with psychotic symptoms in Inner London. Participants' experiences, views about services and needs for support in parenting were discussed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitative thematic analysis carried out. Most participants who looked after their children described motherhood as rewarding and central to their lives. However, they described the demands associated with parenting and at the same time coping with severe mental illness as considerable, and some feared that their children would be adversely affected by their illnesses. Parenting responsibilities created practical impediments to engaging with mental health services. Fear of losing custody or access to children dominated interactions with mental health and social services, making most participants reluctant to disclose difficulties in parenting to professionals. A widespread assumption that mentally ill women are inherently poor parents, regardless of the facts of individual cases, was described, and stigma was seen as affecting children as well as mothers. Services were perceived as offering little continuing support in relation to parenting, intervening only in crises. Little attention has so far been paid in research and service development to the fact that the majority of mentally ill women are mothers. Strategies for assessing and meeting the resulting unmet needs should be developed and evaluated.

When Parents Have Problems: A Book for Teens and Older Children with an Abusive, Alcoholic, or Mentally Ill Parent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Susan B.

This book was written for teenagers and older children who have abusive, alcoholic, or mentally ill parents. Emphasis is placed on young people in such situations using their intelligence, understanding that parents are fallible, viewing the future with optimism, facing reality, and seeing the good in other people rather than assuming everyone…

Experiences of adults who as children lived with a parent experiencing mental illness in a small-scale society : A Qualitative study.

PubMed

Dam, K; Joensen, D G; Hall, E O C

2018-03-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Children of parent with severe mental illness are often carrying a caring burden; they keep the illness in the family, are documented to be stigmatized, bullied and to take special attention to their mentally ill parent's health and well-being. Little is however known about these children's experiences when growing up in a small-scale society. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Children's experiences of living with a parent with severe mental illness in the small-scale society (Faroe Islands) are paradoxical, life is often unreasonable and evidently contradictory but anyway connected. The results show that "everybody knows everybody" which refers to that, in the small-scale society, it is difficult to be anonymous. The children were familiar with that people talked and had a prejudiced attitude; this resulted that the participants were constantly reminded of their mental ill parent's difference, and they were feeling less worthy than their pals. Children of parents with severe mental illness in a small-scale society need to support from the close family as well as mental healthcare professionals. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The study adds knowledge about the challenges that children of mental ill parents have to go through. Dialogue among mental healthcare colleagues not only about caring for the sick parent but also about modes of caring for the children and the family at large would deepen the staff's knowing of the need for family-centred care within mental health care. Introduction An estimated 23% of children worldwide live with a parent experiencing mental illness. These children are exposed to emotional and psychosocial challenges. Little is known about these children when living in small-scale societies. Aim To explore how adults, who as children lived with parents experiencing mental illness in a small-scale society, recalled their childhood life. Method Individual interviews with 11 adults were

The psychosocial experience of parents receiving care closer to home for their ill child.

PubMed

Spiers, Gemma; Parker, Gillian; Gridley, Kate; Atkin, Karl

2011-11-01

Current health policy in England regarding the management of childhood illness advocates for care to be delivered as close to home as possible. The aim of this article is to report findings from a qualitative component of a larger study evaluating models of care closer to home (CCTH) for children and young people who are ill. The focus is on parents' psychosocial experience of receiving CCTH for their ill child. A qualitative case study design was used, with four Primary Care Trusts in England as the case study sites. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 parents and one extended family caregiver of children using CCTH services within the case study sites. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and audio-recorded with permission. Data were collected in 2009. There was an overall preference for CCTH over hospital-based care where possible. The parents in this study experienced differing levels of responsibility as part of this care, and responded to this in different ways. Being supported emotionally and socially by practitioners was an important part of receiving CCTH for parents, especially when they had increased responsibility as part of this care. Developing relationships with practitioners appeared to be a medium through which parents received support. If the provision of CCTH continues to expand in line with current policy, provision of support for parents should be considered a fundamental aspect of service development. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Adolescent recognition of parental affect: influence of depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Ehrmantrout, Nikki; Allen, Nicholas B; Leve, Craig; Davis, Betsy; Sheeber, Lisa

2011-08-01

This study examined depressive biases in adolescents' labeling of parental affect. Adolescents (151 girls; 82 boys) and their parents engaged in videotaped problem-solving interactions. Adolescents then participated in a video-mediated recall procedure in which they watched the videotaped interaction and indicated how they thought their parents were feeling. Indices of parents' affect during the problem-solving interactions were also provided by parent self-report and behavioral observations. Adolescent depressive symptoms were associated with overreporting of parental aggressive affect and underreporting of parental happy and neutral affects, relative to both directly observed and self-reported parental affect. Depressive symptoms were not associated with overreporting of parental dysphoric affect. Given the importance of accurately reading affective cues for negotiating interpersonal interactions, these findings likely have implications for understanding processes that contribute to adverse relationships among the families of adolescents with depressive symptoms. © 2011 American Psychological Association

Analysis of a support group for children of parents with mental illnesses: managing stressful situations.

PubMed

Gladstone, Brenda M; McKeever, Patricia; Seeman, Mary; Boydell, Katherine M

2014-09-01

We report an ethnographic analysis of a psycho-education and peer-support program for school-aged children of parents with mental illnesses. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of the program manual and observed group interactions to understand whether children shared program goals predetermined by adults, and how, or if, the intervention was responsive to their needs. Children were expected to learn mental illness information because "knowledge is power," and to express difficult feelings about being a child of a mentally ill parent that was risky. Participants used humor to manage group expectations, revealing how they made sense of their parents' problems, as well as their own. Suggestions are made for determining good mental health literacy based on children's preferences for explaining circumstances in ways they find relevant, and for supporting children's competencies to manage relationships that are important to them. © The Author(s) 2014.

Supporting families of parents with mental illness in general practice.

PubMed

Baulderstone, Michaela J; Morgan, Bradley S; Fudge, Elizabeth A

2013-08-05

The general-practice setting provides a unique opportunity to positively influence the impact of mental illness on individuals and families. Intervention can begin from the moment an individual seeks professional help. Using a family-focused approach, and supporting parents to develop practical strategies to promote resilience in their children, can aid parents' recovery and promote the optimal emotional wellbeing of their children. We suggest a family-orientated therapeutic approach relevant to the general-practice setting, with particular consideration of the value of communicating with children according to the child's stage of emotional development.

Parental and emerging adult psychopathology: Moderated mediation by gender and affect toward parents.

PubMed

Walker, Courtney S; McKinney, Cliff

2015-10-01

Current research indicates that children tend to view parents with psychopathology more negatively and children who hold negative perceptions of parents are at a greater risk for psychopathology. Yet, less research examines how parental psychopathology influences offspring psychopathology through affect toward parents. The current study tested a model that examined the associations among parental psychopathology, positive affect toward parents, and emerging adult psychopathology. Associations were expected to be partly indirect via positive affect toward parents and emerging adult gender was expected to moderate these associations. Results indicated gender-moderated mediation with significant effects found for males but not females. Results from the current study emphasize the importance of examining affect toward parents as a risk factor for emerging adult psychopathology. Additionally, results of the current study demonstrate the importance of examining the role of emerging adult gender as a potential moderator in these relationships. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescent Mental Health Consumers' Self-Stigma: Associations with Parents' and Adolescents' Illness Perceptions and Parental Stigma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moses, Tally

2010-01-01

Currently, little is known about adolescents' self-stigma experiences as mental health (MH) treatment recipients. Hence, this study addresses the following two questions: (a) what are adolescents' and parents' perceptions of stigma and perceptions of the cause, controllability, and anticipated outcome (illness perceptions) of adolescents' MH…

Posttraumatic growth in parents caring for a child with a life-limiting illness: A structural equation model.

PubMed

Cadell, Susan; Hemsworth, David; Smit Quosai, Trudy; Steele, Rose; Davies, Elizabeth; Liben, Stephen; Straatman, Lynn; Siden, Harold

2014-03-01

When parents first meet their child, they take on the entwined joys and burdens of caring for another person. Providing care for their child becomes the basic expectation, during health and illness, through the developmental milestones, into adulthood and beyond. For those parents who have a child who is born with or is later diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, parents also become caregivers in ways that parents of predominantly well children do not. While the circumstances are undisputedly stressful, for some parents benefits can co-occur along with the negative outcomes. This article tests two structural equation models of possible factors that allow these parent caregivers to experience growth in the circumstances. The diagnosis and illness of a child in the context of pediatric palliative care is a very complex experience for parents. The stresses are numerous and life-changing and yet the parents in this research demonstrated growth as measured by the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory. It appears that particular personal resources reflected in personal well-being are a precursor to the process of positive meaning making, which then, in turn, contributes to growth. The path to posttraumatic growth is not a simple one, but this research contributes to further elucidating it.

Impact of chronic illness timing and persistence at school entry on child and parent outcomes: Australian longitudinal study.

PubMed

Quach, Jon; Barnett, Tony

2015-01-01

To understand the prevalence and timing of child chronic illness at school entry; associations with child learning, behavior and health-related quality of life and parent mental health at ages 6 to 7, 8 to 9, and 10 to 11 years; and cumulative health care costs. Data were drawn from the first 4 waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Children were aged 4 to 5 years at wave 1, with data collection every 2 years. Parent-reported timing of child chronic illness at school entry was categorized into 4 chronic illness groups based on changes between waves 1 and 2: none, resolving, incident and persistent. Child outcomes included: parent-reported quality of life, parent- and teacher-reported behavior, teacher-reported child learning, teacher-reported child-teacher relationship, directly assessed nonverbal and verbal cognition and parent self-reported mental health. Linear regression, adjusted for gender and socioeconomic position, was used to quantify longitudinal associations between chronic illness timing at school entry with outcomes at age 6 to 7 years, 8 to 9 years and 10 to 11 years. Of the 4983 children enrolled in the study, chronic illness data was available for 4464 children (89.6%) at both waves 1 and 2. From wave 1, 6.1% had a condition that persisted until wave 2, while 14.1% had a condition that resolved. Furthermore, 4.7% had a newly emerging condition at wave 2. Compared with the no chronic illness group, children with persistent or emerging chronic illness during school entry had the poorest outcomes (except father's mental health) at all time points, while children with resolving conditions had smaller differences. Child chronic illness at school entry is associated with poorer longitudinal child and maternal outcomes. Therefore, future research should aim to determine the risk and protective factors that contribute to the poorer child and parent outcomes experienced in this growing population. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric

A Metasynthesis of Factors Affecting Self-Management of Chronic Illness

PubMed Central

SCHULMAN-GREEN, Dena; JASER, Sarah S.; PARK, Chorong; WHITTEMORE, Robin

2015-01-01

Aim To identify factors that may serve as facilitators and barriers to self-management described by adults living with chronic illness by conducting a qualitative metasynthesis. Background Self-management is an individuals’ active management of a chronic illness in collaboration with their family members and clinicians. Design Qualitative metasynthesis. Data Sources We analyzed studies (N=53) published between January 2000–May 2013 that described factors affecting self-management in chronic illness as reported by adults aged over 18 years with chronic illness. Review Methods Sandelowsi and Barroso approach to qualitative metasynthesis: literature search; quality appraisal; analysis; and synthesis of findings. Results Collectively, article authors reported on sixteen chronic illnesses, most commonly diabetes (N=28) and cardiovascular disease (N=20). Participants included men and women (mean age=57, range 18–94) from twenty countries representing diverse races and ethnicities. We identified five categories of factors affecting self-management: Personal/Lifestyle Characteristics; Health Status; Resources; Environmental Characteristics; and Health Care System. Factors may interact to affect self-management and may exist on a continuum of positive (facilitator) to negative (barrier). Conclusion Understanding factors that influence self-management may improve assessment of self-management among adults with chronic illness and may inform interventions tailored to meet individuals’ needs and improve health outcomes. PMID:26781649

Parental HIV disclosure: from perspectives of children affected by HIV in Henan, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Junfeng; Li, Xiaoming; Qiao, Shan; Zhao, Guoxiang; Zhang, Liying; Stanton, Bonita

2015-01-01

Culturally and developmentally appropriate parental HIV disclosure (i.e., parents disclose their HIV infection to children) has been shown to be closely related with the well-being of both HIV-infected parents and their children. However, current practices and effects of parental HIV disclosure remain poorly understood in low- and middle-income countries including China. Quantitative data from 626 children affected by parental HIV (orphans and vulnerable children) in Henan, China, were collected in 2011 to examine children's perceptions and knowledge regarding their parents' HIV disclosure practices and to assess the associations of these practices with children's demographic and psychosocial factors. The data in the current study revealed that only a small proportion of children learned parental HIV infection from their parents (direct disclosure), and many of these disclosure seemed being unplanned. Among the children who were not told by their parents, at least 95% of them either knew parental illness from others (indirect disclosure) or from their own observations or suspicions. The children reported similar disclosure practices by fathers and mothers. There were minimum differences between disclosed and nondisclosed children on a number of psychosocial measures. The findings support the notion that parental HIV disclosure is a complex process and can only be beneficial if it is carefully planned. The data in the current study suggest the needs for the culturally and developmentally appropriate approach in parental HIV disclosure in order to maximize both short- and long-term benefits to children, parents, and family functioning.

Prevalence of serious mental illness among parents in the United States: results from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 2008-2014.

PubMed

Stambaugh, Leyla F; Forman-Hoffman, Valerie; Williams, Jason; Pemberton, Michael R; Ringeisen, Heather; Hedden, Sarra L; Bose, Jonaki

2017-03-01

This brief research report presents findings from a US national household survey on the number and percentage of parents with mental illness. Using combined annual data from the 2008-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, parents were defined as having children in the household from birth to 18 years. Prediction models developed in an earlier clinical study using a National Survey on Drug Use and Health subsample were used to estimate serious mental illness (SMI). A total of 2.7 million parents (3.8%) had a SMI in the past year and 12.8 million parents (18.2%) had any mental illness in the past year. Mental illness was more common among mothers than fathers and least common among Asians compared with other races. SMI was less prevalent in parents who were aged 50 years and older compared with younger age groups. The burden of mental illness in parents is high in the United States, especially among mothers. Physicians who treat parents should routinely screen for mental illness and discuss its implications for parenting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Fearnley, Rachel; Boland, Jason W.

2016-01-01

Background: Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family’s needs would help ensure appropriate support. Aim: To find the current literature exploring (1) how parents with a life-limiting illness, who have dependent children, perceive health-care professionals’ communication with them about the illness, diagnosis and treatments, including how social, practical and emotional support is offered to them and (2) how this contributes to the parents’ feelings of supporting their children. Design: A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Data sources: Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ASSIA ProQuest were searched in November 2015 for studies assessing communication between health-care professionals and parents about how to talk with their children about the parent’s illness. Results: There were 1342 records identified, five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria (55 ill parents, 11 spouses/carers, 26 children and 16 health-care professionals). Parents wanted information from health-care professionals about how to talk to their children about the illness; this was not routinely offered. Children also want to talk with a health-care professional about their parents’ illness. Health-care professionals are concerned that conversations with parents and their children will be too difficult and time-consuming. Conclusion: Parents with a life-limiting illness want support from their health-care professionals about how to communicate with their children about the illness. Their children look to health-care professionals for information about their parent’s illness. Health-care professionals, have an important role but appear reluctant to address these concerns because of fears of insufficient time and expertise. PMID:27383635

Kangaroo care for adoptive parents and their critically ill preterm infant.

PubMed

Parker, Leslie; Anderson, Gene Cranston

2002-01-01

In this case study kangaroo care (KC) was facilitated for an adoptive mother and father who were planning to attend the birth of the infant they had arranged to adopt. Unexpectedly, the birth mother delivered at 27 weeks gestation. The infant was critically ill and required mechanical ventilation. However, in this neonatal intensive care unit where all adoptive parents and parents of mechanically ventilated infants are offered KC, these adoptive parents began KC on Day 3 while their infant daughter was still mechanically ventilated. She thrived thereafter and the entire experience was profoundly beneficial for this beginning family both at the hospital and after discharge home.

Work and Health of Parents of Adult Children with Serious Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R.; Greenberg, Jan S.

2013-01-01

This study examined the effects of work schedule flexibility and the spillover of work stress to family life on the health of parents of adult children with serious mental illness (SMI). We compared 100 parents of adult children with SMI to 500 parents with nondisabled adult children using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The detrimental impact on health of a lack of work flexibility and of higher levels of negative work-to-family spillover were more pronounced among parents of adult children with SMI than parents with non-disabled adult children. The results have significant implications for developing interventions to help midlife families of persons with SMI cope with work-related stress and for policies that provide for greater work schedule flexibility. PMID:24489424

Work and Health of Parents of Adult Children with Serious Mental Illness.

PubMed

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R; Greenberg, Jan S

2014-02-01

This study examined the effects of work schedule flexibility and the spillover of work stress to family life on the health of parents of adult children with serious mental illness (SMI). We compared 100 parents of adult children with SMI to 500 parents with nondisabled adult children using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The detrimental impact on health of a lack of work flexibility and of higher levels of negative work-to-family spillover were more pronounced among parents of adult children with SMI than parents with non-disabled adult children. The results have significant implications for developing interventions to help midlife families of persons with SMI cope with work-related stress and for policies that provide for greater work schedule flexibility.

Violence by Parents Against Their Children: Reporting of Maltreatment Suspicions, Child Protection, and Risk in Mental Illness.

PubMed

McEwan, Miranda; Friedman, Susan Hatters

2016-12-01

Psychiatrists are mandated to report suspicions of child abuse in America. Potential for harm to children should be considered when one is treating parents who are at risk. Although it is the commonly held wisdom that mental illness itself is a major risk factor for child abuse, there are methodologic issues with studies purporting to demonstrate this. Rather, the risk from an individual parent must be considered. Substance abuse and personality disorder pose a separate risk than serious mental illness. Violence risk from mental illness is dynamic, rather than static. When severe mental illness is well-treated, the risk is decreased. However, these families are in need of social support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adherence to Polyethylene Glycol Treatment in Children with Functional Constipation Is Associated with Parental Illness Perceptions, Satisfaction with Treatment, and Perceived Treatment Convenience.

PubMed

Koppen, Ilan Jasper Nader; van Wassenaer, Elsa A; Barendsen, Rinse W; Brand, Paul L; Benninga, Marc A

2018-05-10

To assess treatment adherence in children with functional constipation and to evaluate the association with parental beliefs about medication, illness perceptions, treatment satisfaction, and satisfaction with information about medication. A cross-sectional survey was administered among parents of children with functional constipation treated with polyethylene glycol. Adherence was measured via the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5, score 5-25), with greater scores indicating better adherence (scores ≥23 were defined as adherent). Beliefs about medication, illness perceptions, satisfaction with treatment, and satisfaction with information about treatment were measured with the Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), and the Satisfaction with Information about Medication Questionnaire. Associations between the questionnaire scores and adherence (MARS-5 score as a continuous variable) were analyzed with regression analyses. In total, 43 of 115 included children (37%) were adherent (MARS-5 ≥23). Spearman rank correlation test revealed a statistically significant correlation between TSQM-convenience, TSQM-satisfaction, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire question 8 (emotions), and the MARS-5 score (r s 0.342, P = .000; r s 0.258, P = .006; r s -0.192, P = .044), which suggests that parental perceived treatment convenience, satisfaction with treatment, and illness perceptions may affect adherence in children with functional constipation. In the hierarchical multivariate regression model, 22% of the variability of the MARS-5 score could be explained by the selected predictors. The TSQM-convenience score contributed the most to the model (β: 0.384, P = .000). Parents reported low adherence rates in their children with functional constipation. Treatment inconvenience, dissatisfaction with treatment, and the emotional impact of

Knowledge transfer in the field of parental mental illness: objectives, effective strategies, indicators of success, and sustainability.

PubMed

Lauritzen, Camilla; Reedtz, Charlotte

2015-01-01

Mental health problems are often transmitted from one generation to the next. However, transferring knowledge about interventions that reduce intergenerational transmission of disease to the field of parental mental illness has been very difficult. One of the most critical issues in mental health services research is the gap between what is generally known about effective treatment and what is provided to consumers in routine care. In this article we discuss several aspects of knowledge transfer in the field of parental mental illness. Effective strategies and implementation prerequisites are explored, and we also discuss indicators of success and sustainability. Altogether, this article presents a rationale for the importance of preventive strategies for children of mentally ill parents. Furthermore, the discussion shows how complex it is to change clinical practice.

[Between psychiatry and youth welfare--help and support for children of mentally ill parents in the tension field of the disciplines].

PubMed

Wagenblass, S; Schone, R

2001-09-01

A mental illness of parents brings up a high burden for the affected children. The professionals working in psychiatry and social work are getting a rising knowledge of the specific problems these children have. Anyway, there are only a few useful treatments offered for this group of people. There are a lot of reasons for this lag in take care of. It's not only based on the financial situation or the personnel structure which must be mentioned as reasons for children of parents with mental illness for not asking for help. It's also the incomplete knowledge of the caregivers. But first of all the writer wants to show that the tension in this working field brings up the main problems. For solving these problems the article gives some advice for crossing over the borderlines and build up a communication between the institutions which are involved.

A theory of meaning of caregiving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan, a qualitative study.

PubMed

Yen, Wen-Jiuan; Teng, Ching-Hwa; Huang, Xuan-Yi; Ma, Wei-Fen; Lee, Sheuan; Tseng, Hsiu-Chih

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to generate a theory of meaning of care-giving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan. Studies indicate that the meaning of care-giving plays an important role in the psychological adjustment of care-givers to care-giving. With a positive meaning of care-giving, care-givers can accept their roles and adapt to them more readily. The research employs the qualitative method of grounded theory, the inquiry is based on symbolic interactionism. Twenty parental care-givers of children with schizophrenia were recruited at a private hospital in central Taiwan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. A comparative method was used to analyse the text and field notes. Responsibility (zeren) emerges as the core category or concept. Responsibility expresses broadly the behavioural principles that are culturally prescribed and centred on familial ethics and values. Related concepts and principles that influence caregiver actions and affections include a return of karma, challenges from local gods and fate. By maintaining their culturally prescribed interpretations of care-giving, parents hope to give care indefinitely without complaints. The findings clearly suggest that the meaning of care-giving is determined through a process of internal debate that is shaped by culturally specific concepts. The paper attempts to explain some of these culturally specific determinants and explanations of care-giving behaviour. The theory contributes knowledge about the meaning of care-giving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan. It should be useful reference for mental health professionals, who provide counselling services to ethnically Taiwanese care-givers.

Do Parent Mental Illness and Family Living Arrangement Moderate the Effects of the Aussie Optimism Program on Depression and Anxiety in Children?

PubMed

Cheng, Maryanne; Rooney, Rosanna M; Kane, Robert T; Hassan, Sharinaz; Baughman, Natalie

2018-01-01

Parent mental illness and family living arrangement are associated with depression and anxiety in children, and may influence the effects of programs that aim to prevent these disorders. This study investigated whether these family context factors moderated the intervention effects of the enhanced Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills program on depression and anxiety in primary school children. The intervention was a universal, cognitive-behavioral program, with a one hour session each week for 10 weeks, delivered by trained teachers. The participants were 502 children from 13 private schools, aged 9-11, with 347 in the intervention group and 155 in the control group. There were 267 females and 235 males. Data from 502 parents was also included. A cluster randomized controlled trial design was used, including eight intervention schools and five control schools. Depression and anxiety were assessed at pre-test, post-test, and 6-months follow-up. Information on parent mental illness and family living arrangement was collected through a parent questionnaire. The data was analyzed using covariance analysis with Generalized Linear Mixed Methods. At baseline, depressive and anxiety symptoms did not differ significantly based on parent mental illness. Symptoms of depression at baseline were significantly higher for children from a higher-risk family living arrangement, but anxiety symptoms were not. Parent mental illness and family living arrangement did not moderate the effects of the program on depression and anxiety at post-test or 6-months follow-up. Parent mental illness moderated the intervention effects on negative self-esteem, an aspect of depression, at post-test, with improvements seen only for children who did not have a parent with a mental illness. The findings indicate an association between family living arrangement and depressive symptoms in children. The findings suggest that the program is effective for children regardless of parent mental illness or

Effects of nurse-led child- and parent-focused violence intervention on mentally ill adult patients and victimized parents: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Sun, Gwo-Ching; Hsu, Mei-Chi

2016-08-01

Child-to-parent violence is an often hidden serious problem for parental caregivers of mentally ill adult children who experience violence toward them. To date, the comprehensive dyadic parent-adult child intervention to manage child-to-parent violence is scarce. To evaluate the effect of Child- and Parent-focused Violence Program, an adjunctive intervention involved with both violent adult children with mental illness and their victimized biological parent (parent-adult child dyads) on violence management. Open-label randomized controlled trial. A psychiatric ward in a teaching hospital and two mental hospitals in Southern Taiwan. Sixty-nine patients aged ≥20 years, with thought or mood disorders, having violent behavior in the past 6 months toward their biological parent of either gender were recruited. The violent patients' victimized biological parents who had a major and ongoing role in provision of care to these patients, living together with and being assaulted by their violent children were also recruited. The parent-adult child dyads were selected. The intervention was carried out from 2011 to 2013. The parent-adult child dyads were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (36 dyads), which received Child- and Parent-focused Violence Intervention Program, or to the control group (33 dyads), which received only routine psychiatric care. The intervention included two individualized sessions for each patient and parent, separately, and 2 conjoint sessions for each parental-child dyad for a total of 6 sessions. Each session lasted for at least 60-min. Data collection was conducted at 3 different time frames: pre-treatment, post-treatment, and treatment follow-up (one month after the completion of the intervention). Occurrence of violence prior to intervention was comparable between two groups: 88.9% (n=32) parents in the experimental group versus 93.9% (n=31) in the control group experienced verbal attack, and 50% (n=18) versus 48.5% (n=16

The Role of Parental and Extrafamilial Social Support in the Psychosocial Adjustment of Children with a Chronically Ill Father.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotchick, Beth A.; Summers, Peter; Forehand, Rex; Steele, Ric G.

1997-01-01

Examines the relation between social support and psychosocial adjustment in children of men with hemophilia. Results, based on 53 families, indicate that the impact of illness, not the severity of illness itself, related to children's psychosocial adjustment. Main effects were observed for parental support on child- and parent-reported…

Awareness and Use of California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Among Parents of Chronically Ill Children

PubMed Central

Schuster, Mark A.; Chung, Paul J.; Elliott, Marc N.; Garfield, Craig F.; Vestal, Katherine D.; Klein, David J.

2016-01-01

Context In 2004, California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program (PFLI) became the first state program to provide paid leave to care for an ill family member. Objective To assess awareness and use of the program by employed parents of children with special health care needs, a population likely to need leave. Design, Setting, and Participants Telephone interviews with successive cohorts of employed parents before (November 21, 2003-January 31, 2004; n=754) and after (November 18, 2005-January 31, 2006; n=766) PFLI began, randomly sampled from 2 children's hospitals, one in California (with PFLI) and the other in Illinois (without PFLI). Response rates were 82% before and 81% after (California), and 80% before and 74% after (Illinois). Main Outcome Measures Taking leave, length of leave, unmet need for leave, and awareness and use of PFLI. Results Similar percentages of parents at the California site reported taking at least 1 day of leave to care for their ill child before (295 [81%]) and after (327 [79%]) PFLI, taking at least 4 weeks before (64 [21%]) and after (74 [19%]) PFLI, and at least once in the past year not missing work despite believing their child's illness necessitated it before (152 [41%]) and after (156 [41%]) PFLI. Relative to Illinois, parents at the California site reported no change from before to after PFLI in taking at least 1 day of leave (difference of differences, −3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −13% to 7%); taking at least 4 weeks of leave (1%; 95% CI, −9% to 10%); or not missing work, despite believing their child's illness necessitated it (−1%; 95% CI, −13% to 10%). Only 77 parents (18%) had heard of PFLI approximately 18 months after the program began, and only 20 (5%) had used it. Even among parents without other access to paid leave, awareness and use of PFLI were minimal. Conclusions Parents of children with special health care needs receiving care at a California hospital were generally unaware of PFLI and rarely used

Awareness and use of California's Paid Family Leave Insurance among parents of chronically ill children.

PubMed

Schuster, Mark A; Chung, Paul J; Elliott, Marc N; Garfield, Craig F; Vestal, Katherine D; Klein, David J

2008-09-03

In 2004, California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program (PFLI) became the first state program to provide paid leave to care for an ill family member. To assess awareness and use of the program by employed parents of children with special health care needs, a population likely to need leave. Telephone interviews with successive cohorts of employed parents before (November 21, 2003-January 31, 2004; n = 754) and after (November 18, 2005-January 31, 2006; n = 766) PFLI began, randomly sampled from 2 children's hospitals, one in California (with PFLI) and the other in Illinois (without PFLI). Response rates were 82% before and 81% after (California), and 80% before and 74% after (Illinois). Taking leave, length of leave, unmet need for leave, and awareness and use of PFLI. Similar percentages of parents at the California site reported taking at least 1 day of leave to care for their ill child before (295 [81%]) and after (327 [79%]) PFLI, taking at least 4 weeks before (64 [21%]) and after (74 [19%]) PFLI, and at least once in the past year not missing work despite believing their child's illness necessitated it before (152 [41%]) and after (156 [41%]) PFLI. Relative to Illinois, parents at the California site reported no change from before to after PFLI in taking at least 1 day of leave (difference of differences, -3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -13% to 7%); taking at least 4 weeks of leave (1%; 95% CI, -9% to 10%); or not missing work, despite believing their child's illness necessitated it (-1%; 95% CI, -13% to 10%). Only 77 parents (18%) had heard of PFLI approximately 18 months after the program began, and only 20 (5%) had used it. Even among parents without other access to paid leave, awareness and use of PFLI were minimal. Parents of children with special health care needs receiving care at a California hospital were generally unaware of PFLI and rarely used it. Among parents of children with special health care needs, taking leave in California did not

Navigating in an unpredictable daily life: a metasynthesis on children's experiences living with a parent with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Dam, Kristianna; Hall, Elisabeth O C

2016-09-01

A large group of individuals suffering from mental illness are parents living with their children. These children are invisible in the health care even though at risk for illhealth. The aim of this metasynthesis was to advance knowledge of how children of parents with mental illness experience their lives, thus contributing to the evidence of this phenomenon. The metasynthesis is following Sandelowski and Barroso's guidelines. Literature searches covering the years 2000 to 2013 resulted in 22 reports which were synthesised into the theme 'navigating in an unpredictable everyday life' and the metaphor compass. Children of parents with mental illness irrespective of age are responsible, loving and worrying children who want to do everything to help and support. Children feel shame when the parent behaves differently, and they conceal their family life being afraid of stigmatisation and bullying. When their parent becomes ill, they distance to protect themselves. The children cope through information, knowledge, frankness and trustful relationships. These children need support from healthcare services because they subjugate own needs in favour of the parental needs, they should be encouraged to talk about their family situation, and especially, young children should to be child-like, playing and seeing friends. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Do healthy school meals affect illness, allergies and school attendance in 8- to 11-year-old children? A cluster-randomised controlled study.

PubMed

Laursen, R P; Lauritzen, L; Ritz, C; Dyssegaard, C B; Astrup, A; Michaelsen, K F; Damsgaard, C T

2015-05-01

A nutritionally adequate diet in childhood is important for health and resistance of allergies and infections. This study explored the effects of school meals rich in fish, vegetables and fibre on school attendance, asthma, allergies and illness in 797 Danish 8- to 11-year-old children. No comparable studies conducted in high-income settings have been identified. The OPUS School Meal Study was a cluster-randomised cross-over trial. Children from third and fourth grades at nine Danish schools received school meals or usual packed lunch (control) for two 3-month periods. Occurrence and duration of illnesses, asthma and allergies during the last 14 days were recorded by parental questionnaires at baseline and after each 3-month period. Self-reported well-being was assessed by visual analogue scales. The school meals did not affect school attendance, parent-reported occurrence or duration of asthma and allergies or self-reported well-being. The most common symptoms of illness were stomach pain (24%), headache (28%) and cold (24%). A slightly higher number of children experienced headaches in the school meal (27%) compared with the control period (22%) (P=0.02). However, subgroup analyses showed that this effect was only seen in children eating school meals in the classroom (P=0.007), and not in common dining areas (P=0.2). No effect was found on other symptoms of illness. Provision of nutritionally balanced school meals did not affect school attendance, asthma, allergies, illness or well-being in 8- to 11-year-old children. The slight increase in occurrence of headaches seems to be related to the physical eating environment.

Excessive Reassurance Seeking, Hassles, and Depressive Symptoms in Children of Affectively Ill Parents: A Multiwave Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abela, John R. Z.; Zuroff, David C.; Ho, Moon-Ho R.; Adams, Philippe; Hankin, Benjamin L.

2006-01-01

The current study examined whether excessive reassurance seeking serves as a vulnerability factor to depression in a sample of high-risk youth using a multiwave longitudinal design. At Time 1, 140 children (aged 6-14) of affectively disordered parents completed measures assessing reassurance seeking and depressive symptoms. In addition, every 6…

Child Affected by Parental Relationship Distress.

PubMed

Bernet, William; Wamboldt, Marianne Z; Narrow, William E

2016-07-01

A new condition, "child affected by parental relationship distress" (CAPRD), was introduced in the DSM-5. A relational problem, CAPRD is defined in the chapter of the DSM-5 under "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention." The purpose of this article is to explain the usefulness of this new terminology. A brief review of the literature establishing that children are affected by parental relationship distress is presented. To elaborate on the clinical presentations of CAPRD, four common scenarios are described in more detail: children may react to parental intimate partner distress; to parental intimate partner violence; to acrimonious divorce; and to unfair disparagement of one parent by another. Reactions of the child may include the onset or exacerbation of psychological symptoms, somatic complaints, an internal loyalty conflict, and, in the extreme, parental alienation, leading to loss of a parent-child relationship. Since the definition of CAPRD in the DSM-5 consists of only one sentence, the authors propose an expanded explanation, clarifying that children may develop behavioral, cognitive, affective, and physical symptoms when they experience varying degrees of parental relationship distress, that is, intimate partner distress and intimate partner violence, which are defined with more specificity and reliability in the DSM-5. CAPRD, like other relational problems, provides a way to define key relationship patterns that appear to lead to or exacerbate adverse mental health outcomes. It deserves the attention of clinicians who work with youth, as well as researchers assessing environmental inputs to common mental health problems. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employment Barriers Among Welfare Recipients and Applicants With Chronically Ill Children

PubMed Central

Smith, Lauren A.; Romero, Diana; Wood, Pamela R.; Wampler, Nina S.; Chavkin, Wendy; Wise, Paul H.

2002-01-01

Objectives. This study evaluated the association of chronic child illness with parental employment among individuals who have had contact with the welfare system. Methods. Parents of children with chronic illnesses were interviewed. Results. Current and former welfare recipients and welfare applicants were more likely than those with no contact with the welfare system to report that their children’s illnesses adversely affected their employment. Logistic regression analyses showed that current and former receipt of welfare, pending welfare application, and high rates of child health care use were predictors of unemployment. Conclusions. Welfare recipients and applicants with chronically ill children face substantial barriers to employment, including high child health care use rates and missed work. The welfare reform reauthorization scheduled to occur later in 2002 should address the implications of chronic child illness for parental employment. PMID:12197972

Helping parents with mental illnesses and their children: a call for family-focused mental health care.

PubMed

Mason, Carolyn; Subedi, Sree

2006-07-01

1. Large numbers of individuals with mental illnesses are parents to minor children. 2. Recommendations to improve services suggest that services provided by the adult mental health system and child service agencies be coordinated. 3. Nursing care intersects both the adult and child systems, and nurses have the expertise to offer a variety of services. 4. There is an urgent need to improve family-focused mental health nursing care to benefit parents with mental illnesses, their children and families, and the overall community and society.

Maternal early-life trauma and affective parenting style: the mediating role of HPA-axis function.

PubMed

Juul, Sarah H; Hendrix, Cassandra; Robinson, Brittany; Stowe, Zachary N; Newport, D Jeffrey; Brennan, Patricia A; Johnson, Katrina C

2016-02-01

A history of childhood trauma is associated with increased risk for psychopathology and interpersonal difficulties in adulthood and, for those who have children, impairments in parenting and increased risk of negative outcomes in offspring. Physiological and behavioral mechanisms are poorly understood. In the current study, maternal history of childhood trauma was hypothesized to predict differences in maternal affect and HPA axis functioning. Mother-infant dyads (N = 255) were assessed at 6 months postpartum. Mothers were videotaped during a 3-min naturalistic interaction, and their behavior was coded for positive, neutral, and negative affect. Maternal salivary cortisol was measured six times across the study visit, which also included an infant stressor paradigm. Results showed that childhood trauma history predicted increased neutral affect and decreased mean cortisol in the mothers and that cortisol mediated the association between trauma history and maternal affect. Maternal depression was not associated with affective measures or cortisol. Results suggest that early childhood trauma may disrupt the development of the HPA axis, which in turn impairs affective expression during mother-infant interactions in postpartum women. Interventions aimed at treating psychiatric illness in postpartum women may benefit from specific components to assess and treat trauma-related symptoms and prevent secondary effects on parenting.

ROLE OF MATERNAL CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ON PARENTING AMONG DEPRESSED MOTHERS OF PSYCHIATRICALLY ILL CHILDREN

PubMed Central

Zalewski, Maureen; Cyranowski, Jill M.; Cheng, Yu; Swartz, Holly A.

2015-01-01

Background Independently, maternal depression and maternal history of childhood abuse confer risk for impaired parenting. These associations may be compounded when depressed mothers with histories of childhood abuse are faced with the challenge of parenting offspring who themselves struggle with mental health problems. This study examined the relationships among maternal history of childhood abuse, maternal depression, and parenting style in the context of parenting a psychiatrically ill child, with an emphasis on examining maternal emotional abuse and neglect. We hypothesized that maternal childhood emotional abuse would be associated with maladaptive parenting strategies (lower levels of maternal acceptance and higher levels of psychological control), independent of maternal depression severity and other psychosocial risk factors. Method Ninety-five mother-child dyads (children ages 7–18) were recruited from child mental health centers where children were receiving treatment for at least one internalizing disorder. Participating mothers met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder. Mothers reported on their own childhood abuse histories and children reported on their mothers’ parenting. Results Regression analyses demonstrated that maternal childhood emotional abuse was associated with child reports of lower maternal acceptance and greater psychological control, controlling for maternal depression severity, and other psychosocial risk factors. Conclusions When treating psychiatrically ill children, it is important for a child’s clinician to consider mothers’ childhood abuse histories in addition to their history of depression. These mothers appear to have additional barriers to effective parenting. PMID:23649503

Role of maternal childhood trauma on parenting among depressed mothers of psychiatrically ill children.

PubMed

Zalewski, Maureen; Cyranowski, Jill M; Cheng, Yu; Swartz, Holly A

2013-09-01

Independently, maternal depression and maternal history of childhood abuse confer risk for impaired parenting. These associations may be compounded when depressed mothers with histories of childhood abuse are faced with the challenge of parenting offspring who themselves struggle with mental health problems. This study examined the relationships among maternal history of childhood abuse, maternal depression, and parenting style in the context of parenting a psychiatrically ill child, with an emphasis on examining maternal emotional abuse and neglect. We hypothesized that maternal childhood emotional abuse would be associated with maladaptive parenting strategies (lower levels of maternal acceptance and higher levels of psychological control), independent of maternal depression severity and other psychosocial risk factors. Ninety-five mother-child dyads (children ages 7-18) were recruited from child mental health centers where children were receiving treatment for at least one internalizing disorder. Participating mothers met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder. Mothers reported on their own childhood abuse histories and children reported on their mothers' parenting. Regression analyses demonstrated that maternal childhood emotional abuse was associated with child reports of lower maternal acceptance and greater psychological control, controlling for maternal depression severity, and other psychosocial risk factors. When treating psychiatrically ill children, it is important for a child's clinician to consider mothers' childhood abuse histories in addition to their history of depression. These mothers appear to have additional barriers to effective parenting. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Faith, Hope, and Spirituality: SUPPORTING PARENTS WHEN THEIR CHILD HAS A LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESS.

PubMed

Crisp, Cheryl L

2016-01-01

When a child has a life-limiting illness, parents' goals and strategies for their child's life may need to be drastically altered, especially if early death looms. This article reviews literature and research about how families employ faith, hope, spirituality, and biblical perspectives as their child becomes critically ill and faces death. Suggestions are made for best caring practices for families and children encountering this difficult journey.

Children of Parents With Serious Mental Illness: With Whom Do They Grow Up? A Prospective, Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Ranning, Anne; Munk Laursen, Thomas; Thorup, Anne; Hjorthøj, Carsten; Nordentoft, Merete

2016-11-01

To provide an overview of living arrangements during childhood for children of parents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Information was obtained from Danish registers on children's addresses and used to calculate the proportion living in different household living arrangements. The study was conducted as a prospective, register-based cohort study covering all children in the entire Danish population born after 1982 (N = 1,823,625) and their parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or none of these disorders. Regression analyses were performed assessing the risk of dissolution of the conjugal family. Children's living arrangements were characterized by fewer nuclear families and more single-parent-headed households when parents had serious mental illness (SMI). From birth, 15% to 20% of children lived with a single mother with SMI. Conjugal families were dissolved at higher rates if a parent had SMI, especially if the mother (incidence rate ratio 2.98; 95% CI 2.80-3.17) or the father (incidence rate ratio 2.60; 95% CI 2.47-2.74) had schizophrenia. Risks for family dissolution varied greatly with parents' socioeconomic position in all diagnostic groups. Parents' SMI affects children's family living arrangements because fewer children live with both parents and more children live with a single parent or are separated from both parents. Family cohesion seems especially difficult to maintain when parents have schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two Dimensions of Parental Involvement: What Affects Parental Involvement in Dual Language Immersion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ee, Jongyeon

2017-01-01

This article investigates parental involvement in Korean two-way immersion (TWI) programs from the social capital theory perspective. This study explores the degree to which parental involvement is affected by parents' demographic features and parent-related variables by analyzing data from 454 parents of students enrolled in seven elementary…

A qualitative study of programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children: building practice-based evidence.

PubMed

Nicholson, Joanne; Hinden, Beth R; Biebel, Kathleen; Henry, Alexis D; Katz-Leavy, Judith

2007-10-01

The rationale for the development of effective programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children is compelling. Using qualitative methods and a grounded theory approach with data obtained in site visits, seven existing programs for parents with mental illness and their children in the United States are described and compared across core components: target population, theory and assumptions, funding, community and agency contexts, essential services and intervention strategies, moderators, and outcomes. The diversity across programs is strongly complemented by shared characteristics, the identification of which provides the foundation for future testing and the development of an evidence base. Challenges in program implementation and sustainability are identified. Qualitative methods are useful, particularly when studying existing programs, in taking steps toward building the evidence base for effective programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children.

Bereaved parents' experiences of music therapy with their terminally ill child.

PubMed

Lindenfelser, Kathryn J; Grocke, Denise; McFerran, Katrina

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate bereaved parents' experiences of music therapy with their terminally ill child. In-depth interviews were conducted with 7 bereaved parents who were recruited through a community-based palliative care program. The parent participants' experiences varied as their children who received music therapy ranged in ages from 5 months to 12 years old. The interview transcripts were analyzed using phenomenological strategies. Five global themes emerged from the analysis. These included (a) music therapy was valued as a means of altering the child's and family's perception of their situation in the midst of adversity, (b) music therapy was a significant component of remembrance, (c) music therapy was a multifaceted experience for the child and family, (d) music therapy enhanced communication and expression, and (e) parents shared perceptions of and recommendations for improving music therapy services. These emergent themes yield knowledge into the relevance of music therapy within pediatric palliative care.

Does decisional conflict differ across race and ethnicity groups? A study of parents whose children have a life-threatening illness.

PubMed

Knapp, Caprice; Sberna-Hinojosa, Melanie; Baron-Lee, Jacqueline; Curtis, Charlotte; Huang, I-Chan

2014-05-01

Children with life-threatening illnesses and their families may face a myriad of medical decisions in their lifetimes. Oftentimes these complicated medical decisions cause disagreements among patients, families, and providers about what is the best course of action. Although no evidence exists, it is possible that conflict may affect subgroups of the population differently. This study aims to investigate how decisional conflict varies among racial and ethnic subgroups. Two hundred sixty-six surveys were completed with parents whose children have a life-threatening illness. All children lived in Florida and were enrolled in the Medicaid program. The Decisional Conflict Scale, overall and broken down into its five distinct subscales, was used to assess parental decision-making. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted. Subgroup analyses were conducted on Latino respondents. Our bivariate results suggest that minority parents report less Effective Decision Making (p<0.05) and report less Support in Decision Making (p<0.05) compared to white, non-Hispanic parents. For the subgroup analysis, we found that those who identify as Mexican American and Central/South American report having greater Uncertainty in Choosing Options (p<0.05) and less Values Clarity (p<0.05) as compared to Puerto Rican or Cuban Americans. Results from the multivariate analyses suggest that those whose primary language is not English are associated with greater Uncertainty in Choosing Options (p<0.05). Values Clarity was lower for children who were diagnosed with their life-threatening condition at birth (p<0.05) as compared to children diagnosed at a later time. Our study is the first to describe racial and ethnic differences in decisional conflict of parents of children with life-threatening illnesses. Significant differences exist by race, ethnicity, language spoken, and diagnosis time across several subdomains of decisional conflict. These differences are important to

Treatment Choices in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Parental Illness Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Anbar, Nebal N.; Dardennes, Roland M.; Prado-Netto, Arthur; Kaye, Kelley; Contejean, Yves

2010-01-01

A cross-sectional design was employed. Parents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were asked to complete a modified version of the Revised Illness-Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-RA) and answer questions about information-seeking activities and treatments used. Internal consistency, construct validity, and factor structure were assessed.…

Social support for South Asian Muslim parents with life-limiting illness living in Scotland: a multiperspective qualitative study.

PubMed

Gaveras, Eleni Margareta; Kristiansen, Maria; Worth, Allison; Irshad, Tasneem; Sheikh, Aziz

2014-02-06

To explore experiences of social support needs among South Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness, living in Scotland, who are parents of young children. Secondary analysis of data from a multiperspective, longitudinal Scottish study involving in-depth semistructured interviews with patients, their nominated carers and healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Edinburgh, Scotland. South-Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness with children under the age of 18 (n=8), their carer (n=6) and their healthcare professional. Access and provision of social support in palliative care. Open-ended qualitative interviews identified four main themes: (1) parental sadness over being unable to provide tangible support; (2) parental desire to continue to provide emotional support; (3) limited availability of informal social support networks; and (4) differing perspectives between healthcare professionals and patients on patient access to social support sources, with a subtheme being the capacity of male carers to provide social support. South-Asian parents at the end of life had limited access to extended-network support. Gender roles appeared as challenging for healthcare providers who at times overestimated the amount of support a female carer could provide and underestimated the amount of support male carers provided. Implications for practice include the need for greater awareness by healthcare providers of the social support needs of ethnic minority and migrant parents with life-limiting illnesses and especially an awareness of the importance of the role of male and female carers. Further research is needed to explore how the timing of migration impacts the need for and availability of tangible and emotional informal social support among ethnic minority parents with life-limiting illness.

A qualitative systematic review of the reasons for parental attendance at the emergency department with children presenting with minor illness.

PubMed

Butun, Ahmet; Hemingway, Pippa

2018-01-01

Over 5 million children attend the Emergency Department (ED) annually in England with an ever-increasing paediatric emergency caseload echoed globally. Approximately 60% of children present with illness and the majority have non-urgent illness creating burgeoning pressures on children's ED and this crisis resonates globally. To date no qualitative systematic review exists that focuses on the parental reasons for childhood attendance at the ED in this sub-group. To identify parental reasons for attending ED for their children presenting with minor illness. A qualitative systematic review was conducted against inclusion/exclusion criteria. Five electronic databases and key journals were searched in June 2015. 471 studies were identified and following study selection, 4 qualitative studies were included. Nine themes were identified e.g. dissatisfaction with family medical services, perceived advantages of ED and 'child suffering' with novel and insightful sub-themes of 'hereditary anxiety', 'taking it off our hands', ED as a 'magical place'. This novel qualitative systematic review examined parental attendance presenting with childhood minor illness of interest to emergency care reformers and clinicians. ED attendance is complex and multifactorial but parents provide vital insight to ED reformers on parental reasons for ED attendance in this sub-group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family options for parents with mental illnesses: a developmental, mixed methods pilot study.

PubMed

Nicholson, Joanne; Albert, Karen; Gershenson, Bernice; Williams, Valerie; Biebel, Kathleen

2009-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a description of Family Options, a rehabilitation intervention for parents with serious mental illnesses and their children focusing on recovery and resilience, and to report the findings from a pilot study at 6-months post-enrollment for participating mothers. A developmental design, and mixed quantitative and qualitative methods facilitate an in-depth understanding of Family Options and its impact on parents early in the implementation process. Participating families faced significant challenges, including long-term mental health conditions in adults, and emotional and behavioral difficulties in children. Data from mothers (n = 22) demonstrate significant improvements in well-being, functioning, and supports and resources at 6 months post-enrollment in Family Options. Mothers report help from Family Options staff consistent with the intervention as conceptualized, and high levels of satisfaction with the intervention as delivered. Innovative study design and analytic strategies are required to build the evidence base and promote rapid dissemination of effective interventions. Findings from this study will assist purveyors in refining the intervention, and will lay the groundwork for further replication and testing to build the evidence base for parents with serious mental illnesses and their families.

Parents as Role Models: Parental Behavior Affects Adolescents' Plans for Work Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiese, Bettina S.; Freund, Alexandra M.

2011-01-01

This study (N = 520 high-school students) investigates the influence of parental work involvement on adolescents' own plans regarding their future work involvement. As expected, adolescents' perceptions of parental work behavior affected their plans for own work involvement. Same-sex parents served as main role models for the adolescents' own…

Coping with the Personal Loss of Having a Parent with Mental Illness: Young Adults' Narrative Accounts of Spiritual Struggle and Strength

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maunu, Aleisha; Stein, Catherine H.

2010-01-01

The present study examines the personal accounts of nine young adults who have parents living with mental illness. Adults' experience of personal loss due to their parents' mental illness and perceptions of their religious faith journey and spiritual struggles are described. Overall, young adults who reported experiencing more personal loss due to…

Perfectionism and depression among low-income chronically ill African American and White adolescents and their maternal parent.

PubMed

Rice, Kenneth G; Tucker, Carolyn M; Desmond, Frederic F

2008-09-01

Most research on perfectionism is based on convenience samples of university students or clinically distressed samples, and therefore relatively less is known about the development and implications of perfectionism for other groups. In this study, we examined perfectionism and depression in low-income African American (n = 39) and White (n = 55) adolescents with chronic illnesses (most with diabetes, asthma, and/or hypertension) and their primary parents. We specifically examined the association between parent and child perfectionism, and the link between perfectionism and depression in both groups. The African American adolescents reported significantly more maladaptive perfectionism than did the White adolescents, and the African American parents reported significantly higher scores on depression than did the White parents. Correlations and regression analyses revealed similarities and differences in perfectionism-depression associations that might be explained in light of cultural differences and the unique physical and emotional challenges faced by youth with chronic illnesses.

An Emotional Awareness Based Parenting Group for Parents with Mental Illness: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study of Community Mental Health Nurse Facilitation.

PubMed

Isobel, Sophie; Meehan, Felicity; Pretty, Danielle

2016-02-01

There has been limited examination of the use of relationship based structured parenting programs that focus on emotional interactions in the parent-child dyad in families where a parent has a mental illness. There is also a lack of awareness of the practicalities of providing such interventions within adult mental health services. This study explores the process and outcomes of a nurse led emotional awareness based parenting program for adult clients of a mental health service. Participants demonstrated a significant reduction in difficult parenting moments and associated stress and distress as well as promising improvements in overall distress and emotional awareness. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Unique Effects of Parental Alcohol and Affective Disorders, Parenting, and Parental Negative Affect on Adolescent Maladjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haller, Moira; Chassin, Laurie

2011-01-01

Using a high-risk community sample, multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for mothers (n = 416) and fathers (n = 346) to test the unique, prospective influence of parental negative affect on adolescent maladjustment (internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and negative emotionality) 2 years later over and above parental…

[The Relationships among Perceived Parental Bonding, Illness Perception, and Anxiety in Adult Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases].

PubMed

Shin, Nayeon; Jang, Youha; Kang, Younhee

2017-04-01

The purposes of this study were to identify the relationships among perceived parental bonding, illness perception, and anxiety and to determine the influences of perceived parental bonding and illness perception on anxiety in adult patients with congenital heart diseases. In this study a descriptive correlational design with survey method was utilized. The participants were 143 adult patients with congenital heart disease being cared for in the cardiology out-patient clinic of A medical center. Data were collected using the Parental Bonding Instrument, Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised Scale, and Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchial regression analyses. There showed significant positive relationships of anxiety with maternal overprotection, consequences, and personal control respectively. Among predictors, maternal overprotection (β=.45), consequence (β=.26), and personal control (β=-.03) had statistically significant influence on anxiety. Nursing interventions to decrease maternal overprotection and negative consequence, and to enhance personal control are essential to decrease the anxiety of adult patients with congenital heart diseases. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Social support for South Asian Muslim parents with life-limiting illness living in Scotland: a multiperspective qualitative study

PubMed Central

Gaveras, Eleni Margareta; Kristiansen, Maria; Worth, Allison; Irshad, Tasneem; Sheikh, Aziz

2014-01-01

Objective To explore experiences of social support needs among South Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness, living in Scotland, who are parents of young children. Design Secondary analysis of data from a multiperspective, longitudinal Scottish study involving in-depth semistructured interviews with patients, their nominated carers and healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Setting Edinburgh, Scotland. Participants South-Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness with children under the age of 18 (n=8), their carer (n=6) and their healthcare professional. Main outcome measures Access and provision of social support in palliative care. Results Open-ended qualitative interviews identified four main themes: (1) parental sadness over being unable to provide tangible support; (2) parental desire to continue to provide emotional support; (3) limited availability of informal social support networks; and (4) differing perspectives between healthcare professionals and patients on patient access to social support sources, with a subtheme being the capacity of male carers to provide social support. South-Asian parents at the end of life had limited access to extended-network support. Gender roles appeared as challenging for healthcare providers who at times overestimated the amount of support a female carer could provide and underestimated the amount of support male carers provided. Implications for practice include the need for greater awareness by healthcare providers of the social support needs of ethnic minority and migrant parents with life-limiting illnesses and especially an awareness of the importance of the role of male and female carers. Further research is needed to explore how the timing of migration impacts the need for and availability of tangible and emotional informal social support among ethnic minority parents with life-limiting illness. PMID:24503303

[Educational guidance for families with mentally ill parents: a bridge between youth welfare services and psychiatric care system].

PubMed

Schrappe, Andreas

2013-01-01

In the last fifteen years a lot of services were established to assist children and their mentally ill parents. To improve the preventive and therapeutic interventions in favour of these families, the cooperation between all the institutions involved has to be enhanced. Family counselling centers can play an important role as a link between the psychiatric care system and the youth welfare services. By transferring the psychiatric terminology to the families' everyday language, the counsellors help the parents and the children to share their experiences with the parental illness. To implement a consultation-hour in a psychiatric clinic is an example of how educational guidance can close the gap between the two systems and strengthen the cooperation.

The Effects of Prematurity and Illness on Parents' Perceptions of Their Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danko, Maribeth; And Others

Part of a larger study investigating the longitudinal effects of prematurity, illness, and hospitalization, this study focuses on parent perceptions of their infants at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, with age being corrected for conceptional age at birth. It was hypothesized that neonatal condition and age of infant at the time of measurement would…

Strategies and Issues in Supporting Children Whose Parents Have a Mental Illness within the School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reupert, Andrea; Maybery, Darryl

2007-01-01

It has been estimated that over 20 percent of children live in families where one parent has, or has had, a mental illness. Given the role of schools in children's academic as well as psychosocial development, it was considered important to identify effective strategies that school personnel have used in supporting such children. Parents and…

EMPLOYMENT, FAMILY LEAVE, AND PARENTS OF NEWBORNS OR SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN

PubMed Central

Chung, Paul J.; Lui, Camillia K.; Cowgill, Burton O.; Hoffman, Geoffrey; Elijah, Jacinta; Schuster, Mark A.

2012-01-01

Objectives Parents of newborns and children with special health care needs (CSHCN) often experience conflict between employment and family responsibilities. Family leave benefits such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California’s Paid Family Leave Insurance (PFLI) program help employed parents miss work to bond with a newborn or care for an ill child. Use of these benefits, however, is rare among mothers of CSHCN and fathers in general, and limited even among mothers of newborns. We explored barriers to and experiences with leave-taking among parents of newborns and CSHCN. Methods We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews in 2008 with 10 mothers and 10 fathers of newborns and 10 mothers and 10 fathers of CSHCN in Los Angeles to explore their need for and experiences with family leave. Qualitative analytical techniques were used to identify themes in the transcripts. Results All parents reported difficulties in accessing and using benefits, including lack of knowledge by employers, complexity of rules and processes, and inadequacy of the benefits themselves. Parents of CSHCN also described being too overwhelmed to rapidly seek and process information in the setting of urgent and often unexpected health crises. Most parents expressed a clear desire for expert guidance and saw hospitals and clinics as potentially important providers. Conclusions Even when parents are aware of family leave options, substantial barriers prevent many, especially parents of CSHCN, from learning about or applying for benefits. Clinics and hospitals might be opportune settings to reach vulnerable parents at times of need. PMID:22459063

Employment, family leave, and parents of newborns or seriously ill children.

PubMed

Chung, Paul J; Lui, Camillia K; Cowgill, Burton O; Hoffman, Geoffrey; Elijah, Jacinta; Schuster, Mark A

2012-01-01

Parents of newborns and children with special health care needs (CSHCN) often experience conflict between employment and family responsibilities. Family leave benefits such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and California's Paid Family Leave Insurance program help employed parents miss work to bond with a newborn or care for an ill child. The use of these benefits, however, is rare among mothers of CSHCN and fathers in general and limited even among mothers of newborns. We explored barriers to and experiences with leave-taking among parents of newborns and CSHCN. We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews in 2008 with 10 mothers and 10 fathers of newborns and 10 mothers and 10 fathers of CSHCN in Los Angeles to explore their need for and experiences with family leave. Qualitative analytical techniques were used to identify themes in the transcripts. All parents reported difficulties in accessing and using benefits, including lack of knowledge by employers, complexity of rules and processes, and inadequacy of the benefits themselves. Parents of CSHCN also described being too overwhelmed to rapidly seek and process information in the setting of urgent and often unexpected health crises. Most parents expressed a clear desire for expert guidance and saw hospitals and clinics as potentially important providers. Even when parents are aware of family leave options, substantial barriers prevent many, especially parents of CSHCN, from learning about or applying for benefits. Clinics and hospitals might be opportune settings to reach vulnerable parents at times of need. Copyright © 2012 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Dynamic Cycle of Familial Mental Illness.

PubMed

Murphy, Gillian; Peters, Kathleen; Wilkes, Lesley; Jackson, Debra

2014-12-01

In this paper, we present A Dynamic Cycle of Familial Mental Illness; an innovative framework, which considers family members' experiences and responses to mental illness. There is an acknowledged discourse noting parental experiences of mental illness alongside a growing body of knowledge acknowledging children's needs while living with parental mental illness. However, there is a paucity of literature that makes reference to the concept of familial mental illness and the cyclic interface of parental and child distress and symptoms. The model is supported by published research studies from several differing disciplines to demonstrate the relationship between parent and child experiences and to synthesise the published short- and longer-term possible impact of familial mental illness. An extensive search of the literature using recognised search engines, keywords and phrases has been undertaken, to generate an appropriate literature base for this work. This literature demonstrates how a child's possible emotional distancing as a response to parental mental illness could increase parental distress. A Dynamic Cycle of Familial Mental Illness adopts the underpinning philosophy of a Stress Vulnerability Model of Mental Illness, which assumes that predisposing factors and increased stress for a parent may have possible links to exacerbation of parental mental distress and symptomology. We advocate for further research of familial mental illness, and argue for a family approach to mental health assessment and treatment in mainstream health and social care sectors.

Relationship of external influence to parental distress in decision making regarding children with a life-threatening illness.

PubMed

Miller, Victoria A; Luce, Mary Frances; Nelson, Robert M

2011-01-01

To examine the relationship of external influence to parental distress when making a decision about research or treatment for a child with a life-threatening illness and to test potential moderators of this relationship. Parents (n = 219) who made a decision about research or treatment for a child completed measures of external influence, distress, decision-making preference, and coping. More external influence was associated with more hostility, uncertainty, and confusion. Decision-making preference and coping style moderated the relationship between external influence and distress: More external influence was associated with more distress when decision-making preference was low and task-focused coping was high. External influence appears to be related to distress in parents making research and treatment decisions for children with life-threatening illnesses. However, it is important to consider parent characteristics, such as decision-making preference and coping style, when examining the effects of contextual factors on distress during decision making.

Parental Sensitivity, Infant Affect, and Affect Regulation: Predictors of Later Attachment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braungart-Rieker, Julia M.; Garwood, Molly M.; Powers, Bruce P.; Wang, Xiaoyu

2001-01-01

Examined extent to which parent sensitivity, infant affect, and affect regulation at 4 months predicted mother- and father-infant attachment classifications at 1 year. Found that affect regulation and maternal sensitivity discriminated infant-mother attachment groups. The association between maternal sensitivity and infant-mother attachment was…

Negative affect and parental aggression in child physical abuse.

PubMed

Mammen, Oommen K; Kolko, David J; Pilkonis, Paul A

2002-04-01

Parental negative affect is a risk factor for child physical abuse. As negative affect contributes to aggression, and because physical abuse involves an aggressive act directed at the child, we examined the relationship between negative affect and parent-to-child aggression (PTCA) in parents reported to Child Protective Services for physical abuse. Baseline assessment data were retrospectively examined on 49 participants in a treatment study for child physical abuse. The negative affects studied were depression, anxiety, and hostility on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Brief Symptom Inventory. PTCA was assessed using the physical aggression subscales (Minor and Severe Physical Violence) of the Conflict Tactics Scale. The contribution of these negative affects to PTCA was examined after controlling individually for the effects of parental attributions and contextual variables widely regarded as etiological factors in child physical abuse. Contributions of negative affect to PTCA after individually controlling for other predictors were found for Minor Physical Violence but not Severe Physical Violence. Findings were strongest with depression on the Beck Depression Inventory and to a lesser extent with hostility on the Brief Symptom Inventory. Finding that negative affect contributed to PTCA in this sample suggests that it may be important to study the effects of emotion-focused treatments in physically abusive parents. These findings also suggest that PTCA may have qualities of impulsive aggression, a form of aggression that is conceptualized as driven by negative affect, occurs in response to aversive events, and is not planned.

How communication affects prescription decisions in consultations for acute illness in children: a systematic review and meta-ethnography

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Communication within primary care consultations for children with acute illness can be problematic for parents and clinicians, with potential misunderstandings contributing to over–prescription of antibiotics. This review aimed to synthesise the evidence in relation to communication and decision making in consultations for children with common acute illness. Methods A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SSCI, SIGLE, Dissertation Express and NHS economic evaluation databases was conducted. Studies of primary care settings in high income countries which made direct observations of consultations and reported qualitative data were included. Included studies were appraised using the process recommended by the Cochrane Qualitative Methods Group. Credibility was assessed as high for most studies but transferability was usually assessed low or unclear. Data were synthesised using a meta–ethnographic approach. Results Thirty–five papers and 2 theses reporting on 13 studies were included, 7 of these focussed on children with respiratory tract infections (RTI) and the remaining 6 included children with any presenting illness. Parent communication focussed on their concerns and information needs, whereas clinician communication focussed on diagnosis and treatment decisions. During information exchanges, parents often sought to justify the need for the consultation, while clinicians frequently used problem minimising language, resulting in parents and clinicians sometimes talking at cross–purposes. In the context of RTIs, a range of parent communication behaviours were interpreted by clinicians as indicating an expectation for antibiotics; however, most were ambiguous and could also be interpreted as raising concerns or requests for further information. The perceived expectation for antibiotics often changed clinician decision making into clinician–parent negotiation. Conclusions Misunderstandings occurred due to parents and clinicians

Children as Next of Kin: A Scoping Review of Support Interventions for Children Who Have a Parent with a Serious Physical Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Järkestig Berggren, Ulrika; Hanson, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Young children and adolescents who have a parent with a serious physical illness require information and support to cope with their everyday lives. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarise and disseminate the research findings of interventions that support children in families with a serious physically ill parent. The review also aimed…

Positive parenting for positive parents: HIV/AIDS, poverty, caregiver depression, child behavior, and parenting in South Africa.

PubMed

Lachman, Jamie M; Cluver, Lucie D; Boyes, Mark E; Kuo, Caroline; Casale, Marisa

2014-01-01

Families affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world experience higher risks of psychosocial problems than nonaffected families. Positive parenting behavior may buffer against the negative impact of child AIDS-orphanhood and caregiver AIDS-sickness on child well-being. Although there is substantial literature regarding the predictors of parenting behavior in Western populations, there is insufficient evidence on HIV/AIDS as a risk factor for poor parenting in low- and middle-income countries. This paper examines the relationship between HIV/AIDS and positive parenting by comparing HIV/AIDS-affected and nonaffected caregiver-child dyads (n=2477) from a cross-sectional survey in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (27.7% AIDS-ill caregivers; 7.4% child AIDS-orphanhood). Multiple mediation analyses tested an ecological model with poverty, caregiver depression, perceived social support, and child behavior problems as potential mediators of the association of HIV/AIDS with positive parenting. Results indicate that familial HIV/AIDS's association to reduced positive parenting was consistent with mediation by poverty, caregiver depression, and child behavior problems. Parenting interventions that situate positive parenting within a wider ecological framework by improving child behavior problems and caregiver depression may buffer against risks for poor child mental and physical health outcomes in families affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Educational Functioning of Children of Parents with Chronic Physical Illness: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Cliff Yung-Chi

2016-01-01

A systematic review of the literature was performed to answer the question: What are the effects of parental chronic physical illness on children's educational functioning? Thirteen studies that met the inclusion criteria for the purpose of this review were identified, indicating the paucity of research on the topic. The results found that…

Filicide: Mental Illness in Those Who Kill Their Children

PubMed Central

Flynn, Sandra M.; Shaw, Jenny J.; Abel, Kathryn M.

2013-01-01

Background Most child victims of homicide are killed by a parent or step-parent. This large population study provides a contemporary and detailed description of filicide perpetrators. We examined the relationship between filicide and mental illness at the time of the offence, and care received from mental health services in the past. Method All filicide and filicide-suicide cases in England and Wales (1997–2006) were drawn from a national index of homicide perpetrators. Data on people in contact with mental health services were obtained via a questionnaire from mental health teams. Additional clinical information was collected from psychiatric reports. Results 6144 people were convicted of homicide, 297 were filicides, and 45 cases were filicide-suicides. 195 (66%) perpetrators were fathers. Mothers were more likely than fathers to have a history of mental disorder (66% v 27%) and symptoms at the time of the offence (53% v 23%), most often affective disorder. 17% of mothers had schizophrenia or other delusional disorders. Overall 8% had schizophrenia. 37% were mentally ill at the time of the offence. 20% had previously been in contact with mental health services, 12% within a year of the offence. Conclusion In the majority of cases, mental illness was not a feature of filicide. However, young mothers and parents with severe mental illness, especially affective and personality disorder who are providing care for children, require careful monitoring by mental health and other support services. Identifying risk factors for filicide requires further research. PMID:23593128

Filicide: mental illness in those who kill their children.

PubMed

Flynn, Sandra M; Shaw, Jenny J; Abel, Kathryn M

2013-01-01

Most child victims of homicide are killed by a parent or step-parent. This large population study provides a contemporary and detailed description of filicide perpetrators. We examined the relationship between filicide and mental illness at the time of the offence, and care received from mental health services in the past. All filicide and filicide-suicide cases in England and Wales (1997-2006) were drawn from a national index of homicide perpetrators. Data on people in contact with mental health services were obtained via a questionnaire from mental health teams. Additional clinical information was collected from psychiatric reports. 6144 people were convicted of homicide, 297 were filicides, and 45 cases were filicide-suicides. 195 (66%) perpetrators were fathers. Mothers were more likely than fathers to have a history of mental disorder (66% v 27%) and symptoms at the time of the offence (53% v 23%), most often affective disorder. 17% of mothers had schizophrenia or other delusional disorders. Overall 8% had schizophrenia. 37% were mentally ill at the time of the offence. 20% had previously been in contact with mental health services, 12% within a year of the offence. In the majority of cases, mental illness was not a feature of filicide. However, young mothers and parents with severe mental illness, especially affective and personality disorder who are providing care for children, require careful monitoring by mental health and other support services. Identifying risk factors for filicide requires further research.

Effect of preventive interventions in mentally ill parents on the mental health of the offspring: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Siegenthaler, Eliane; Munder, Thomas; Egger, Matthias

2012-01-01

Mental illness in parents affects the mental health of their children. A systematic review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of interventions to prevent mental disorders or psychological symptoms in the offspring were performed. The Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of interventions in parents with mental disorders. Outcomes in the child included incident mental disorders of the same nature and internalizing (negative emotions, depressive symptoms, anxiety) or externalizing (hyperactivity, aggressiveness, behavioral problems) symptoms. Relative risks and standardized mean differences in symptom scores were combined in random-effects meta-analysis. Thirteen trials including 1,490 children were analyzed. Interventions included cognitive, behavioral, or psychoeducational components. Seven trials assessed the incidence of mental disorders and seven trials assessed symptoms. In total 161 new diagnoses of mental illness were recorded, with interventions decreasing the risk by 40% (combined relative risk 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.79). Symptom scores were lower in the intervention groups: standardized mean differences were -0.22 (95% CI -0.37 to -0.08) for internalizing symptoms (p = .003) and -0.16 (95% confidence interval -0.36 to 0.04) for externalizing symptoms (p = .12). Interventions to prevent mental disorders and psychological symptoms in the offspring of parents with mental disorders appear to be effective. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laughing Matters: Infant Humor in the Context of Parental Affect

PubMed Central

Mireault, Gina C.; Crockenberg, Susan C.; Sparrow, John E.; Cousineau, Kassandra; Pettinato, Christine; Woodard, Kelly

2015-01-01

Smiling and laughing appear very early in the first year, but little is known about how infants come to appraise a stimulus as humorous. This short-term longitudinal study explored infant humor perception from 5- to 7-months as a function of parental affect during an absurd event. Using a within-subjects design, parents alternated smiling/laughing with emotional neutrality while acting absurdly toward their infants. Group comparisons showed that infants (N = 37) at all ages smiled at the event regardless of parental affect, but significantly longer at 5 and 6 months , and more often and sooner at 7 months when parents provided humor cues. Similarly, sequential analyses revealed that after gazing at the event, 7-month-olds were only more likely to smile at it when parents provided humor cues, and were comparatively more likely to look away when parents were neutral. Thus, starting at 5 months, parental affect influenced infants’ affect toward an absurd event, an effect that was magnified at 7 months. These results are discussed in the context of emotional contagion, regulation, and the emergence of social referencing. PMID:25897958

Laughing matters: Infant humor in the context of parental affect.

PubMed

Mireault, Gina C; Crockenberg, Susan C; Sparrow, John E; Cousineau, Kassandra; Pettinato, Christine; Woodard, Kelly

2015-08-01

Smiling and laughing appear very early during the first year of life, but little is known about how infants come to appraise a stimulus as humorous. This short-term longitudinal study explored infant humor perception from 5 to 7 months of age as a function of parental affect during an absurd event. Using a within-participants design, parents alternated smiling/laughing with emotional neutrality while acting absurdly toward their infants. Group comparisons showed that infants (N = 37) at all ages smiled at the event regardless of parental affect but did so significantly longer at 5 and 6 months, and more often and sooner at 7 months, when parents provided humor cues. Similarly, sequential analyses revealed that after gazing at the event, 7-month-olds were more likely to smile at it only when parents provided humor cues and were comparatively more likely to look away when parents were neutral. Thus, starting at 5 months of age, parental affect influenced infants' affect toward an absurd event, an effect that was magnified at 7 months. These results are discussed in the context of emotional contagion, regulation, and the emergence of social referencing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parents' Grief in the Context of Adult Child Mental Illness: A Qualitative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Meg; Cobham, Vanessa; Murray, Judith; McDermott, Brett

2011-01-01

Research indicates that parents and other family members often grieve their child or relative's mental illness. This grief appears resultant from a profound sense of loss, which has been described as complicated and nonfinite (e.g., Atkinson in "Am J Psychiatry" 151(8):1137-1139, 1994; Davis and Schultz in "Soc Sci Med" 46(3):369-379, 1998; Jones…

Parental instrumental feeding, negative affect, and binge eating among overweight individuals.

PubMed

Mason, Tyler B

2015-04-01

Parental instrumental feeding (i.e., rewarding children with food for perceived correct behaviors and punishing by taking away food for perceived incorrect behaviors) and negative affect are independently associated with binge eating in adulthood. However, less is known about interactions between these variables and binge eating. This study examined the relationship of retrospective reports of parental feeding practices and negative affect to binge eating. Participants were 165 overweight and obese undergraduate students at a large Mid-Atlantic University. High parental instrumental feeding strengthened the relationship between negative affect and binge eating. Also, individuals who reported low parental feeding practices reported similar binge eating regardless of negative affect. These findings suggest that overweight and obese individuals whose parents used more instrumental feeding practices are most likely to engage in binge eating in response to negative affect. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Parenting Styles and Emotional Intelligence of HIV-affected Children in Thailand

PubMed Central

Lee, Sung-Jae; Li, Li; Thammawijaya, Panithee

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parenting styles on emotional intelligence of HIV-affected children in Thailand. This study uses data from 205 HIV-affected children in northern and northeastern Thailand. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the predictors of emotional intelligence. Children reporting higher levels of stress reported less caring parenting style (Standardized beta [B] = −0.18, p=0.050). Children with higher self-esteem were also more likely to perceive their parents as caring (B = 0.48, p = 0.002). Children who scored lower on their self-esteem reported their parents to be more overprotective (B = −0.30, p = 0.030), and children reporting higher levels of stress reported their parents to be more overprotective (B = 0.12, p = 0.010). Children reporting caring parenting style were significantly more likely to report higher emotional intelligence (B = 0.66, p = 0.001). Parenting styles play an important role in the emotional intelligence. Identifying and testing interventions to help parents improve their parenting styles, while helping their HIV-affected children cope with stress and self-esteem, are essential in promoting mental health of HIV-affected children in Thailand. PMID:23651471

Parenting styles and emotional intelligence of HIV-affected children in Thailand.

PubMed

Lee, Sung-Jae; Li, Li; Thammawijaya, Panithee

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parenting styles on emotional intelligence of HIV-affected children in Thailand. This study uses data from 205 HIV-affected children in northern and northeastern Thailand. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the predictors of emotional intelligence. Children reporting higher levels of stress reported less caring parenting style (standardized beta [B]=-0.18, p=0.050). Children with higher self-esteem were also more likely to perceive their parents as caring (B=0.48, p=0.002). Children who scored lower on their self-esteem reported their parents to be more overprotective (B=-0.30, p=0.030), and children reporting higher levels of stress reported their parents to be more overprotective (B=0.12, p=0.010). Children reporting caring parenting style were significantly more likely to report higher emotional intelligence (B=0.66, p=0.001). Parenting styles play an important role in the emotional intelligence. Identifying and testing interventions to help parents improve their parenting styles, while helping their HIV-affected children cope with stress and self-esteem, are essential in promoting mental health of HIV-affected children in Thailand.

Information needs of parents for acute childhood illness: determining ‘what, how, where and when’ of safety netting using a qualitative exploration with parents and clinicians

PubMed Central

Jones, Caroline H D; Neill, Sarah; Lakhanpaul, Monica; Roland, Damian; Singlehurst-Mooney, Hayley; Thompson, Matthew

2014-01-01

Objective To explore the views of parents and clinicians regarding the optimal content, format and delivery of safety netting information for acute childhood illness. Design Qualitative study including semistructured focus groups and interviews. Setting First contact care settings, community centres, children's centres and nurseries in the Midlands, UK. Participants 27 parents from a travelling community, Asian British community and white British community. Sixteen clinicians including 10 doctors and 6 nurses from a general practice surgery, an out-of-hours service and two emergency departments (paediatric and combined adult and paediatric). Results Participants described a need for safety netting to contain information on signs and symptoms of serious and common illnesses, illness management and where and when to seek help. Resources should be basic, simple to use and contain simple symbols. A key criterion was professional endorsement of resources. Internet-based information was desired which is reliable, consistent and up-to-date. Participants described a need for different types of information: that which could be delivered during consultations, as well as more general information for parents to access before consulting a healthcare professional. Face-to-face education, written materials and digital media were suggested delivery mechanisms. Audiovisual material was preferred by families with low literacy. Participants commonly suggested internet-based and phone-based resources, but the travelling community was less comfortable with these approaches. Conclusions A multifaceted and tailored approach to safety netting is needed so that effective resources are available for parents with varying information needs, literacy levels and ability to use information technology. We have identified key aspects of content, quality criteria, format and delivery mechanisms for safety netting information from the perspectives of clinicians and parents. Resources should be

Interactions with parents and friends among chronically ill children: examining social networks.

PubMed

Herzer, Michele; Umfress, Kris; Aljadeff, Gabriel; Ghai, Kanika; Zakowski, Sandra G

2009-12-01

Children with medical conditions often experience a combination of positive and negative social interactions with parents and friends. Adult research examining cross-domain buffering effects has documented that supportive social ties can make up for shortcomings in other social relationships. This study examined whether negative effects of strained relationships with loved ones can be buffered when children feel supported by individuals in different support networks (i.e., cross-domain buffering effects). Children with Type I diabetes (n = 56), chronic asthma (n = 54), and cystic fibrosis (n = 17) completed questionnaires during an outpatient hospital visit that assessed perceptions of support and strain from parents and friends, quality of life, self-concept, and emotional/behavioral difficulties. Parental strain was conceptualized as parental overprotection and parental rejection. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that friend support buffered the adverse effects of parental strain on child quality of life, self-concept, and emotional/behavioral difficulties. Interestingly, parental support did not buffer the negative effects of experiencing strained relationships with friends; only main effects on outcome were found. These findings partially support our hypotheses of cross-domain buffering. In this study, friendships were a protective factor for children who experienced strained relationships with parents. In contrast, although parent support had a direct impact on child outcome, it did not make up for feeling rejected by friends. Because close relationships are often strained during medical stressors, findings underscore the importance of promoting social connectedness in chronically ill children to maximize opportunities for experiencing positive social relationships.

Coping, social relations, and communication: a qualitative exploratory study of children of parents with cancer.

PubMed

Thastum, Mikael; Johansen, Mikael Birkelund; Gubba, Lotte; Olesen, Louise Berg; Romer, Georg

2008-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study of families where a parent has cancer was to explore ways of informing the child of the parent's illness, how the child perceives the parent's emotional state, how the child copes with the parent's illness, and how this coping relates to the parent's coping and concerns for the child. Twenty-one children from 15 families and their parents were interviewed. In 13 families the mother was ill, in two the father. Children were aware of the facts of the illness, but there was limited emotional communication between the generations. The children were very observant of both the ill and the healthy parent's emotional condition. The children's observations and expressions led us to identify five coping strategies the younger generation used: Helping others, parentification, distraction, keeping it in the head, and wishful thinking. Both adaptive and destructive examples of parentification were found. Communication patterns and parental coping seemed to be highly related to the child's coping repertoire. Even though most children seemed to manage rather well, all children were strongly affected by the illness. The 'healthiest' adaptation related to factors within the family system, which has implications for the provision of help.

Child temperament, parent affect, and feeding in normal and overweight preschool children

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite overwhelming evidence showing that parent emotional affect impacts parenting directives and child outcomes, little research has focused on the influence of parent affect on feeding as a mechanism in shaping children's eating patterns. Utilizing an instrument characterizing parent strategies ...

Transmission and Prevention of Mood Disorders among Children of Affectively Ill Parents: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beardslee, William R.; Gladstone, Tracy R. G.; O'Connor, Erin E.

2011-01-01

Objective: To provide a conceptual review of the literature on children of depressed parents over the past 12 years. Method: This selective review focused on published studies that delineate the diagnosis of depression in parents, have large samples, describe children 6 to 17 years old, and are methodologically rigorous. The review emphasized…

Parents' perspectives on physician-parent communication near the time of a child's death in the pediatric intensive care unit.

PubMed

Meert, Kathleen L; Eggly, Susan; Pollack, Murray; Anand, K J S; Zimmerman, Jerry; Carcillo, Joseph; Newth, Christopher J L; Dean, J Michael; Willson, Douglas F; Nicholson, Carol

2008-01-01

Communicating bad news about a child's illness is a difficult task commonly faced by intensive care physicians. Greater understanding of parents' scope of experiences with bad news during their child's hospitalization will help physicians communicate more effectively. Our objective is to describe parents' perceptions of their conversations with physicians regarding their child's terminal illness and death in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A secondary analysis of a qualitative interview study. Six children's hospitals in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network. Fifty-six parents of 48 children who died in the PICU 3-12 months before the study. Parents participated in audio recorded semistructured telephone interviews. Interviews were analyzed using established qualitative methods. Of the 56 parents interviewed, 40 (71%) wanted to provide feedback on the way information about their child's terminal illness and death was communicated by PICU physicians. The most common communication issue identified by parents was the physicians' availability and attentiveness to their informational needs. Other communication issues included honesty and comprehensiveness of information, affect with which information was provided, withholding of information, provision of false hope, complexity of vocabulary, pace of providing information, contradictory information, and physicians' body language. The way bad news is discussed by physicians is extremely important to most parents. Parents want physicians to be accessible and to provide honest and complete information with a caring affect, using lay language, and at a pace in accordance with their ability to comprehend. Withholding prognostic information from parents often leads to false hopes and feelings of anger, betrayal, and distrust. Future research is needed to investigate whether the way bad news is discussed influences psychological adjustment

From Controlling to Letting Go: What Are the Psychosocial Needs of Parents of Adolescents with a Chronic Illness?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akre, Christina; Suris, Joan-Carles

2014-01-01

While one of the main objectives of adolescence is to achieve autonomy, for the specific population of adolescents with a chronic illness (CI), the struggle for autonomy is accentuated by the limits implied by their illness. However, little is known concerning the way their parents manage and cope with their children's autonomy acquisition.…

Coparental Affect, Children's Emotion Dysregulation, and Parent and Child Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Thomassin, Kristel; Suveg, Cynthia; Davis, Molly; Lavner, Justin A; Beach, Steven R H

2017-03-01

Children's emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms are known to be affected by a range of individual (parent, child) and systemic (parent-child, marital, and family) characteristics. The current study builds on this literature by examining the unique role of coparental affect in children's emotion dysregulation, and whether this association mediates the link between parent and child depressive symptoms. Participants were 51 mother-father-child triads with children aged 7 to 12 (M age = 9.24 years). Triads discussed a time when the child felt sad and a time when the child felt happy. Maternal and paternal displays of positive affect were coded, and sequential analyses examined the extent to which parents were congruent in their displays of positive affect during the emotion discussions. Results indicated that interparental positive affect congruity (IPAC) during the sadness discussion, but not the happiness discussion, uniquely predicted parent-reported child emotion dysregulation, above and beyond the contributions of child negative affect and parental punitive reactions. The degree of IPAC during the sadness discussion and child emotion dysregulation mediated the association between maternal, but not paternal, depressive symptoms and child depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the unique role of coparental affect in the socialization of sadness in youth and offer initial support for low levels of IPAC as a risk factor for the transmission of depressive symptoms in youth. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

Parent Attributions of Ambiguous Symptoms in Their Children: A Preliminary Measure Validation in Parents of Children with Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Heathcote, Lauren C; Williams, Sara E; Smith, Allison M; Sieberg, Christine B; Simons, Laura E

2018-06-13

How parents attribute cause to their child’s physical symptoms is likely important in understanding how the parent responds to the child, as well as the child’s health outcomes, especially within the context of chronic illness. Here, we adapt the Symptom Interpretation Questionnaire for parent report (SIQ-PR) and provide preliminary validation in a sample of parents of children with chronic pain ( N = 311). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the SIQ-PR structure is consistent with the original measure, with three distinct attribution types: psychological (emotional/affective), somatic (illness/disease), and environmental (situational/transient) causes. All three subscales demonstrated satisfactory to good internal consistency, and temporal stability. Parents typically endorsed more than one attribution for each symptom, indicating that parents of children with chronic pain have a multidimensional interpretation of physical symptoms in their children. Further, parent psychological and somatic attributions, but not environmental attributions, were significantly associated with (i) parent protective responses towards their child, and (ii) the child’s self-reported somatic and psychological symptoms, indicating convergent and divergent validity. The SIQ-PR may be a useful measure for future studies investigating intergenerational and interpersonal models of pediatric chronic pain, and more broadly, to examine parent attributions of children’s ambiguous symptoms within the context of childhood chronic illness.

Psychological Outcomes in Parents of Critically Ill Hospitalized Children.

PubMed

Stremler, Robyn; Haddad, Summer; Pullenayegum, Eleanor; Parshuram, Christopher

Parents of children in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are subjected to significant psychological stress. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms and decisional conflict in parents of children hospitalized in the PICU. The study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design to investigate the psychological status of 118 parents of 91 children (74 mothers and 44 fathers) admitted to the PICU, using measures of anxiety (STAI), depression (CES-D), and decisional conflict (DCS). Using hospital data and self-administered questionnaires, information on child and parent characteristics and psychological outcomes were collected. Objective measures of parental sleep also were examined using actigraphy and sleep diaries. The research findings indicated that 24% of parents achieved scores characteristic of severe anxiety. Proportions of parents with symptoms indicative of major depression and significant decisional conflict were 51% and 26% respectively. For all psychological outcomes, higher levels of social support were protective. Inconsistency in sleep schedule and sleep location affected psychological outcomes and are possible targets for future interventions. Given evidence that parents of children admitted to the PICU are at risk for developing post-traumatic stress symptoms, future studies should examine the effects of hospitalization on long-term parental psychological outcomes. Screening for those at risk and implementing interventions to promote coping strategies and reduce decisional conflict may be beneficial. Pediatric nurses have a critical role in assessing parents' psychological distress and promoting family health during a child's hospitalization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Knowledge of family members on the rights of individuals affected by mental illness].

PubMed

Moreno, Vania; Barbosa, Guilherme Correa

2015-03-01

The objective of this investigation was to understand what family members know about the rights of individuals affected by mental illness. To this end, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection. Eighteen family members were interviewed at a psychosocial care center (CAPS) and a civil society organization (CSO) located in a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, between March and September 2013. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and the following categories were constructed: mental health services and the rights of individuals affected by mental illness. We were able to infer that in addition to drug-based therapy, mental health services must provide therapeutic activities. Family members of those affected by mental illness were unaware of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform Law and mentioned the following rights: welfare benefits, free public transport, basic food basket and medications.

Psychosocial Implications of DSD Treatment for Parents

PubMed Central

Wisniewski, Amy B.

2017-01-01

Purpose of the review Historically, studies of caregivers of children with DSD have been limited. Recent findings Recent data reveal that parents of young children with DSD report increased stress, anxiety, depression and decreased quality of life (QoL) in ways that are similar to parents of children with other types of chronic illnesses. Also similar to other chronic illnesses of childhood, parents of children with DSD exhibit overprotective parenting and perceive their child as being vulnerable. These emotions and behaviors exhibited by parents are concerning as they may limit an affected child’s emotional and social development over time. Perhaps more unique to the situation of DSD is the perceived, or real, child-focused stigma experienced by parents of children with DSD. Summary Interventions to improve parents’ psychosocial adaptation to their child’s medical condition, including coaching in how to discuss their child’s condition in a manner that makes them feel safe and supported, are needed to optimize outcomes for families. PMID:27584026

Allostatic load in parents of children with developmental disorders: moderating influence of positive affect.

PubMed

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R; Ryff, Carol D; Coe, Christopher L; Greenberg, Jan S; Hong, Jinkuk

2014-02-01

This study examines whether parents of children with developmental disorders are at risk of elevated allostatic load relative to control parents and whether positive affect moderates difference in risk. In all, 38 parents of children with developmental disorders and 38 matched comparison parents were analyzed. Regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between parent status and positive affect: parents of children with developmental disorders had lower allostatic load when they had higher positive affect, whereas no such association was evident for comparison parents. The findings suggest that promoting greater positive affect may lower health risks among parents of children with developmental disorders.

Factors that may Facilitate or Hinder a Family-Focus in the Treatment of Parents with a Mental Illness.

PubMed

Lauritzen, Camilla; Reedtz, Charlotte; Van Doesum, Karin; Martinussen, Monica

Children with mentally ill parents are at risk of developing mental health problems themselves. To enhance early support for these children may prevent mental health problems from being transmitted from one generation to the next. The sample ( N  = 219) included health professionals in a large university hospital, who responded to a web-based survey on the routines of the mental health services, attitudes within the workforce capacity, worker's knowledge on the impact of parental mental illness on children, knowledge on legislation concerning children of patients, experience, expectations for possible outcomes of change in current clinical practice and demographic variables. A total of 56 % reported that they did not identify whether or not patients had children. There were no significant differences between the groups (identifiers and non-identifiers) except for the two scales measuring aspects of knowledge, i.e., Knowledge Children and Knowledge Legislation where workers who identified children had higher scores. The results also showed that younger workers with a medium level of education scored higher on Positive Attitudes. Furthermore, workers who reported to have more knowledge about children and the impact of mental illness on the parenting role were less concerned about a child-focussed approach interfering with the patient-therapist relation.

Factors influencing parents' decision-making when sending children with respiratory tract infections to nursery.

PubMed

Carroll, Fran E; Rooshenas, Leila; Owen-Smith, Amanda; Al-Janabi, Hareth; Hollinghurst, Sandra; Hay, Alastair D

2016-06-01

Many families rely on formal day care provision, which can be problematic when children are unwell. Attendance in these circumstances may impact on the transmission of infections in both day care and the wider community. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate how parents make decisions about nursery care when children are unwell. Topics for discussion included: illness attitudes, current practice during childhood illness and potential nursery policy changes that could affect decision-making. A combination of illness perceptions and external factors affected decision-making. Parents: (i) considered the severity of respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms differently, and stated that while most other contagious illnesses required nursery exclusion, coughs/colds did not; (ii) said decisions were not solely based on nursery policy, but on practical challenges such as work absences, financial penalties and alternative care availability; (iii) identified modifiable nursery policy factors that could potentially help parents keep unwell children at home, potentially reducing transmission of infectious illness. Decision-making is a complex interaction between the child's illness, personal circumstance and nursery policy. Improving our understanding of the modifiable aspects of nursery policies and the extent to which these factors affect decision-making could inform the design and implementation of interventions to reduce the transmission of infectious illness and the associated burden on NHS services. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An actor-partner interdependence analysis of associations between affect and parenting behavior among couples.

PubMed

Murdock, Kyle W; Lovejoy, M Christine; Oddi, Kate B

2014-03-01

Prior studies evaluating associations between parental affect and parenting behavior have typically focused on either mothers or fathers despite evidence suggesting that affect and parenting behavior may be interdependent among couples. This study addressed this gap in the literature by evaluating associations between self-reported affect and parenting behavior using an actor-partner interdependence analysis among a sample of 53 mother-father dyads of 3- to 5-year-old children. Results suggested that mothers' and fathers' negative affect, as well as mothers' and fathers' positive affect, were positively associated. Both mothers' and fathers' negative affect were negatively associated with fathers' positive affect. Mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior, and supportive/engaged parenting behavior, were positively associated. Furthermore, mothers' negative affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior while mothers' positive affect was negatively associated with mothers' harsh/negative behavior and positively associated with mothers' supportive/engaged behavior. Fathers' negative affect was positively associated with fathers' supportive/engaged parenting behavior, while fathers' positive affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' supportive/engaged behavior. Results highlight the importance of conceptualizing and measuring characteristics of both mothers and fathers, if applicable, when researching the dynamics of interpersonal relationships within families. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

Psychopathology and self-esteem in chronic illness.

PubMed

Pradhan, Prakash V; Shah, Henal; Rao, Pradeep; Ashturkar, Dhananjay; Ghaisas, Pradnya

2003-02-01

To evaluate psychopathology and self-esteem in chronic illness. 60 children and their parents were selected to participate in an open study. 30 children had epilepsy and the other 30 had thalassemia. Both the groups consisted of children randomly selected from the Epilepsy Clinic and Thalassemia Centre respectively, of a teaching general hospital. The children and their parents were interviewed and also rated on Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule (CPMS) and Rosenberg's self esteem scale. The data was analysed using Pearson's chi square test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The children were seen to have high psychopathology on CPMS (average score: thalassemia group = 28.56, epilepsy group = 26.06). Depression was the subscale with the maximum elevation in both groups. Behavior problems were high in epilepsy. In addition, sadness and disinterest in life were common symptoms in thalassemia while irritability and panic were high in epilepsy. Children with epilepsy perceived a change in lifestyle after diagnosis. Self-esteem was moderately affected in both groups and this affected compliance with treatment in thalassemia. Chronic illness affects psychological health and self esteem in children. Hence, in addition to the physical aspects it is necessary also, to focus on the psychological health of the child in order to ensure compliance and thus treat the child comprehensively.

Parental permissiveness, control, and affect and drug use among adolescents.

PubMed

Becoña, Elisardo; Martínez, Úrsula; Calafat, Amador; Fernández-Hermida, José Ramón; Juan, Montse; Sumnall, Harry; Mendes, Fernando; Gabrhelík, Roman

2013-01-01

Parents play an important role in determining the risk of children's drug use. The aim of this study was to analyse how certain family-related variables (permissiveness toward drug use, and parental control and affect) were linked to the use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, based on young people's self-report of such variables. The sample was composed of 1,428 school children (51.8% males) aged between 11 and 19 from Mallorca (Spain). We found that the young people who perceived their parents as permissive and those who perceived less maternal control and higher levels of both paternal and maternal affect were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. Sex differences were found within this pattern. Variables of maternal affect and control were not influential among males, whereas the general pattern was maintained among females. This study highlights the importance of perceived permissiveness and the need of considering parent's and children's gender when providing control and affect, as fathers will influence male children whereas mothers will influence female children.

Parenting characteristics of female caregivers of children affected by chronic endocrine conditions: a comparison between disorders of sex development and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Kirk, Katherine D; Fedele, David A; Wolfe-Christensen, Cortney; Phillips, Timothy M; Mazur, Tom; Mullins, Larry L; Chernausek, Steven D; Wisniewski, Amy B

2011-12-01

Rearing a child with a chronic illness is stressful and can potentially affect parenting style, which may result in poorer outcomes for children. The purpose of this study was to compare parenting characteristics of female caregivers rearing children with a disorder of sex development (DSD) to female caregivers rearing children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Caregivers of both groups were matched according to age and compared on measures of stress and parenting practices. Both groups demonstrated significant levels of stress and negative parenting practices. Children with T1DM and male children with non-life-threatening DSD were perceived as more vulnerable by their caregivers. Better understanding of parenting experiences of female caregivers rearing children with DSD, particularly male children, will facilitate the development of individualized interventions to ameliorate negative parenting practices and stress, with the long-term goal of improved health outcomes for their children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relations of Parental Affect and Encouragement to Children's Moral Emotions and Behaviour.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinrad, Tracy L.; Losoya, Sandra H.; Eisenburg, Nancy; Fabes, Richard A.; Shepard, Stephanie A.; Cumberland, Amanda; Guthrie, Ivanna K.; Murphy, Bridget C.

1999-01-01

Explores the role of observed parental affect and encouragement in children's empathy-related responding and moral behavior, specifically cheating on a puzzle activity. Finds that (1) parents' affect and encouragement positively related to children's sympathy (not empathy) and (2) boys' cheating on the puzzle correlated to parents' affect and…

Illness appraisals and self-esteem as correlates of anxiety and affective comorbid disorders in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Karatzias, Thanos; Gumley, Andrew; Power, Kevin; O'Grady, Margaret

2007-01-01

Comorbidity of anxiety and affective disorders in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia is common. This study investigated the hypothesis that greater negative beliefs about illness and lower self-esteem will be significantly associated with the presence of anxiety or affective comorbidity in a sample of persons (n = 138) diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale; the Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire; and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were all completed for each participant. Of the total sample, 62 (44.9%) had a comorbid anxiety or affective disorder. Logistic regression revealed that those with a comorbid anxiety or affective disorder had significantly lower levels of functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning), more negative appraisals of entrapment in psychosis (Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire), and lower levels of self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). Although further research is required, the strong association between personal beliefs about self and illness and comorbidity suggests that negative beliefs about psychotic experiences and self-esteem may be linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety and affective comorbid conditions among people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or the like.

Mental Health Literacy Content for Children of Parents with a Mental Illness: Thematic Analysis of a Literature Review

PubMed Central

Riebschleger, Joanne; Grové, Christine; Cavanaugh, Daniel

2017-01-01

Millions of children have a parent with a mental illness (COPMI). These children are at higher risk of acquiring behavioural, developmental and emotional difficulties. Most children, including COPMI, have low levels of mental health literacy (MHL), meaning they do not have accurate, non-stigmatized information. There is limited knowledge about what kind of MHL content should be delivered to children. The aim of this exploratory study is to identify the knowledge content needed for general population children and COPMI to increase their MHL. A second aim is to explore content for emerging children’s MHL scales. Researchers created and analyzed a literature review database. Thematic analysis yielded five main mental health knowledge themes for children: (1) attaining an overview of mental illness and recovery; (2) reducing mental health stigma; (3) building developmental resiliencies; (4) increasing help-seeking capacities; and (5) identifying risk factors for mental illness. COPMI appeared to need the same kind of MHL knowledge content, but with extra family-contextual content such as dealing with stigma experiences, managing stress, and communicating about parental mental illness. There is a need for MHL programs, validated scales, and research on what works for prevention and early intervention with COPMI children. PMID:29072587

Allostatic load in parents of children with developmental disorders: Moderating influence of positive affect

PubMed Central

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R.; Ryff, Carol D.; Coe, Christopher L.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk

2013-01-01

This study examines whether parents of children with developmental disorders (DD) are at risk for elevated allostatic load (AL) relative to control parents, and whether positive affect moderates difference in risk. Thirty-eight parents of children with DD and 38 matched comparison parents were analyzed. Regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between parent status and AL level: parents of children with DD had lower AL when they had higher positive affect, whereas no such association was evident for comparison parents. The findings suggest that promoting greater positive affect may lower health risks among parents of children with DD. PMID:23300048

Possible predictors of age at illness onset and illness duration in a cohort study comparing younger adults and older major affective patients.

PubMed

Serafini, Gianluca; Gonda, Xenia; Monacelli, Fiammetta; Pardini, Matteo; Pompili, Maurizio; Rihmer, Zoltan; Amore, Mario

2018-01-01

Major affective conditions are associated with significant disability and psychosocial impairment. Whether specific socio-demographic and clinical characteristics may distinguish subgroups of patients in terms of prognosis and illness trajectories is a matter of debate. The sample of this naturalistic cohort study included 675 currently euthymic patients with major affective disorders of which 428 (63.4%) were diagnosed with unipolar and 247 (36.6%) with bipolar disorders. Younger adults with a longer duration of untreated illness and residual inter-episodic symptoms were more likely to be single or divorced, students, with an earlier age of first treatment/hospitalization, longer duration of substance abuse and duration of illness than older patients who were, conversely, more likely to be widowed and retired. Multivariate analyses showed a significant positive contribution to age at illness onset by marital status, nonpsychiatric medications, substance abuse, psychiatric diagnosis (bipolar vs. unipolar), age at first treatment/hospitalization, duration of illness, and current age. According to a further analysis, we also found a significant positive contribution to duration of illness by marital status, educational level, positive history of psychiatric conditions in family, substance abuse, psychiatric diagnosis (bipolar vs. unipolar), age at illness onset, age at first treatment, and certain cardiovascular disorders. There are substantial socio-demographic and clinical differences that may help to distinguish specific subgroups of patients; however, additional studies are requested to replicate these results and further investigate the main factors underlying our findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting School Choice: What Do Malaysian Chinese Parents Want?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siah, Poh Chua; Christina Ong, Sook Beng; Tan, Swee Mee; Sim, Chzia Poaw; Xian Thoo, Raphael Yi

2018-01-01

Aiming to explore factors affecting Malaysian Chinese parents in sending their children to either national secondary schools or Chinese independent schools, 494 parents were surveyed using a questionnaire. Results showed that parents who sent their children to Chinese independent schools have different priorities compared to those who sent theirs…

Evaluating workforce developments to support children of mentally ill parents: implementing new interventions in the adult mental healthcare in Northern Norway.

PubMed

Reedtz, Charlotte; Lauritzen, Camilla; van Doesum, Karin T M

2012-01-01

According to new Norwegian laws, mental healthcare for adults are obligated to assess all patients who are parents and to act on their children's needs. This article describes the study protocol of implementing the interventions Family Assessment and Child Talks for children of patients in the adult psychiatry of the University Hospital of Northern Norway. The project is designed to evaluate the process of changes in clinical practice due to the implementation of two interventions. The interventions to be implemented are a standardised Family Assessment Form and the intervention called Child Talks. The family assessment form is an intervention to identify children of mentally ill parents and their needs. The intervention Child Talks is a health-promoting and preventive intervention where the mental health workers talk with the family about the situation of the children and their needs. There are two groups of participants in this study: (1) mental health workers in the clinic (N=220) and (2) patients who are parents (N=200) receiving treatment in the clinic. (1) In the evaluation of clinical practice, the authors use a pre-test, post-test and 1-year follow-up design. At pre-test, the authors evaluate status quo among mental health workers in the clinic regarding knowledge, attitudes, collaborative routines and clinical practice related to families with parental mental illness. After the pre-test is finished, the project move on to implement the interventions Family Assessment Form and Child Talks in the clinic. At post-test and 1-year follow-up, the authors evaluate the impact of implementing the Family Assessment Form in terms of how many children were identified and offered Child Talks in the clinic or referred to other services for additional support. (2) In the evaluation of parents/patients experience with the interventions, the authors use a pre-test post-test design. To identify children of mentally ill patients, the authors collect data on demographical

Feasibility of web-based self-triage by parents of children with influenza-like illness: a cautionary tale.

PubMed

Anhang Price, Rebecca; Fagbuyi, Daniel; Harris, Racine; Hanfling, Dan; Place, Frederick; Taylor, Todd B; Kellermann, Arthur L

2013-02-01

Self-triage using web-based decision support could be a useful way to encourage appropriate care-seeking behavior and reduce health system surge in epidemics. However, the feasibility and safety of this strategy have not previously been evaluated. To assess the usability and safety of Strategy for Off-site Rapid Triage (SORT) for Kids, a web-based decision support tool designed to translate clinical guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help parents and adult caregivers determine if a child with influenza-like illness requires immediate care in an emergency department (ED). Prospective pilot validation study conducted between February 8 and April 30, 2012. Staff who abstracted medical records and made follow-up calls were blinded to the SORT algorithm's assessment of the child's level of risk. Two pediatric emergency departments in the National Capital Region. Convenience sample of 294 parents and adult caregivers who were at least 18 years of age; able to read and speak English; and the parent or legal guardian of a child 18 years or younger presenting to 1 of 2 EDs with signs and symptoms meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for influenza-like illness. Completion of the SORT for Kids survey. Caregiver ratings of the website's usability and the sensitivity of the underlying algorithm for identifying children who required immediate ED management of influenza-like illness, defined as receipt of 1 or more of 5 essential clinical services. Ninety percent of participants reported that the website was "very easy" to understand and use. Ratings did not differ by respondent race, ethnicity, or educational attainment. Of the 15 patients whose initial ED visit met explicit criteria for clinical necessity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention algorithm classified 14 as high risk, resulting in an overall sensitivity of 93.3% (exact 95% CI, 68.1%-99.8%). Specificity of the algorithm was poor. This pilot study

Finger patterns and age of onset for the determination of the parent-of-origin in the transmission of schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Ponnudurai, R.; Jayakar, J.

2015-01-01

Summary: Dermatoglyphic traits which are reported to be largely determined by genes could be considered as phenotypic characterestics and if the same are expressed through generations in schizophrenic families it can be speculated to serve as genetic markers for schizophrenia. Another factor that might be influenced by genes is the age of onset of the illness in the offspring and the parent of origin. Objective: This study was aimed to elucidate the occurrence of identical finger patterns in the schizophrenic patients and their affected parents. The other objective was to assess the age of onset of the illness in them. Methods: Forty six schizophrenic patients in whom one of the parents was also affected with schizophrenia or related disorders were recruited. Of these pairs 29 were taken up for finger patterns analysis, with an equal number of control group pairs. 35 proband and parent pairs were investigated for the age of onset of the illness. Results: The frequency of occurrence of identical patterns in the right thumbs of proband and their affected mother pairs was significantly more than between the proband and their affected father pairs. Additionally, the number of identical patterns was also more in the right thumbs of proband and their affected mother pairs compared with the control group. The difference between the mean age of onset of the illness in the probands and their affected fathers was more than between the probands and their affected mothers. Conclusion: The genetic association of schizophrenic patients with the affected maternal side appear to be more stronger than with the paternal side. PMID:25657454

From child autistic symptoms to parental affective symptoms: A family process model.

PubMed

Chan, Kevin Ka Shing; Lam, Chun Bun; Law, Naska Chung Wa; Cheung, Ryan Yat Ming

2018-04-01

Depression and anxiety are prevalent among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but limited research has investigated why parenting a child with ASD is associated with elevated distress and increased risks of mental health problems. We responded to this gap in the literature by examining the associations between child autistic symptoms and parental affective symptoms, as well as the potential underlying mechanisms. Guided by a family process theory, we hypothesized that child autistic symptoms would be positively associated with parental depressive and anxiety symptoms, and that these associations would be mediated by parents' concerns about their children's characteristics (future-related worry), parental roles (parenting stress), marital relationships (marital conflicts), and family conditions (family economic pressure). Cross-sectional questionnaire data were collected from 375 parents of children with ASD residing in Hong Kong, China. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Child autistic symptoms were positively associated with parental depressive and anxiety symptoms. These associations were mediated by future-related worry, parenting stress, marital conflicts, and family economic pressure. Our findings revealed the potential pathways through which child autism symptomatology may adversely affect parental mental health. Our findings also highlighted the importance of designing multipronged intervention programs for families raising children with ASD in order to improve relevant family processes and reduce parental affective symptoms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Grandparents Affected by Parental Divorce: A Population at Risk?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Jane E.; Perrin, Novella

1993-01-01

When parents divorce, grandparents who have bonded with children may be affected, especially when denied visitation. Grandparenting roles and styles, family dynamics affecting grandparenthood, and other factors affecting the grandparent-grandchild bond are examined. Legal and ethical issues are discussed. Implications for counselors and human…

Factors Promoting Mental Health of Adolescents Who Have a Parent with Mental Illness: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Loon, L. M. A.; Van De Ven, M. O. M.; Van Doesum, K. T. M.; Hosman, C. M. H.; Witteman, C. L. M.

2015-01-01

Background: Children of parents with mental illness have an elevated risk of developing a range of mental health and psychosocial problems. Yet many of these children remain mentally healthy. Objective: The present study aimed to get insight into factors that protect these children from developing internalizing and externalizing problems. Methods:…

Parental modelling of mathematical affect: self-efficacy and emotional arousal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartley, Sarah R.; Ingram, Naomi

2017-12-01

This study explored the relationship between parents' mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics and their 12- and 13-year-old children's mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics. Parental modelling of affective relationships during homework was a focus. Eighty-four parent and child pairings from seven schools in New Zealand were examined using embedded design methodology. No significant correlations were found when the parents' mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics were compared with the children's mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics. However, the parents' level of emotional arousal to mathematics was found to have affected their willingness to assist with mathematics homework. For those parents who assisted, a significant positive correlation was found between their mathematics self-efficacy and their children's emotional arousal to mathematics. Parents who did assist were generally reported as being calm, and used techniques associated with positive engagement. Fathers were calmer and more likely to express readiness to assist with mathematics homework than mothers. A further significant positive correlation was found between fathers' emotional arousal to mathematics and children's mathematics self-efficacy. Implications from the study suggest directions for future research.

Children of mentally ill parents—a pilot study of a group intervention program

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Hanna; Anding, Jana; Schrott, Bastian; Röhrle, Bernd

2015-01-01

Objective: The transgenerational transmission of mental disorders is one of the most prominent risk factors for the development of psychological disorders. Children of mentally ill parents are a vulnerable high risk group with overall impaired development and high rates of psychological disorders. To date there are only a few evidence based intervention programs for this group overall and hardly any in Germany. We translated the evidence based Family Talk Intervention by Beardslee (2009) and adapted it for groups. First results of this pilot study are presented. Method: This investigation evaluates a preventive group intervention for children of mentally ill parents. In a quasi-experimental design three groups are compared: an intervention group (Family Talk Intervention group: n = 28), a Wait Control group (n = 9), and a control group of healthy children (n = 40). Mean age of children was 10.41 years and parental disorders were mostly depressive/affective disorders (n = 30), but a small number also presented with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (n = 7). Results: Children of mentally ill parents showed higher rates of internalizing/externalizing disorders before and after the intervention compared to children of parents with no disorders. Post intervention children's knowledge on mental disorders was significantly enhanced in the Family Talk Intervention group compared to the Wait Control group and the healthy control group. Parental ratings of externalizing symptoms in the children were reduced to normal levels after the intervention in the Family Talk Intervention group, but not in the Wait Control group. Discussion: This pilot study of a group intervention for children of mentally ill parents highlights the importance of psycho-education on parental mental disorders for children. Long-term effects of children's enhanced knowledge about parental psychopathology need to be explored in future studies. PMID:26539129

Factors affecting health seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Yemen

PubMed Central

Webair, Hana Hasan; Bin-Gouth, Abdulla Salim

2013-01-01

Introduction Appropriate medical care seeking could prevent a significant number of child deaths and complications due to ill health. This study aims to determine factors affecting health seeking behavior (HSB) for childhood illnesses, thereby improving child survival. Methods A cross sectional study was carried out from January 11 to April 2, 2012. A total of 212 caretakers of children under the age of 5 years participated. Caretakers who visited the vaccination unit in the Shehair Health Center during the study period and had a child with a history of diarrhea, fever, cough, and/or difficulty of breathing during the last 14 days were included. The data were collected by interviewing caretakers and the answers were reported in pretested structured questionnaires. Results Medical care was sought for about half of the sick children (n=109, 51.42%). Seeking medical care was frequently initiated for illnesses that did not improve or worsened. The major reasons for not seeking medical care were “illness was mild” (n=40, 38.83%) and “illness is not for medical treatment” (n=32, 31.07%). The caretakers sought medical care significantly more when they had a higher level of school education (POR [prevalence odds ratio] 5.85, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 2.34–14.61), when the illness was perceived as severe (POR 5.39, 95% CI: 2.81–10.33), and when the child had difficulty of breathing (POR 2.93, 95% CI: 1.10–7.80). Conclusion For the preventable childhood illnesses with existing interventions, appropriate HSB prevalence is low. Symptom type, caretakers’ education, and perception of illness severity are the predictors of HSB. Educational improvement of the mothers, introduction of community based integrated management of childhood illness, and in-depth research are imperative to improve mothers’ HSB. PMID:24187490

Psychosocial implications of disorders of sex development treatment for parents.

PubMed

Wisniewski, Amy B

2017-01-01

Historically, studies of caregivers of children with disorders of sex development (DSD) have been limited. Recent data reveal that parents of young children with DSD report increased stress, anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life in ways that are similar to parents of children with other types of chronic illnesses. Also similar to other chronic illnesses of childhood, parents of children with DSD exhibit overprotective parenting and perceive their child as being vulnerable. These emotions and behaviors exhibited by parents are concerning as they may limit an affected child's emotional and social development over time. Perhaps, more unique to the situation of DSD is the perceived, or real, child-focused stigma experienced by parents of children with DSD. Interventions to improve parents' psychosocial adaptation to their child's medical condition, including coaching in how to discuss their child's condition in a manner that makes them feel safe and supported, are needed to optimize outcomes for families.

A predictive model of Health Related Quality of life of parents of chronically ill children: the importance of care-dependency of their child and their support system.

PubMed

Hatzmann, Janneke; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Heymans, Hugo S A; Grootenhuis, Martha A

2009-07-28

Parents of chronically ill children are at risk for a lower Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Insight in the dynamics of factors influencing parental HRQoL is necessary for development of interventions. Aim of the present study was to explore the influence of demographic and disease related factors on parental HRQoL, mediated by employment, income, leisure time, holiday and emotional support in a comprehensive model. In a cross-sectional design, 543 parents of chronically ill children completed questionnaires. A conceptual model of parental HRQoL was developed. Structural equation modeling was performed to explore the relations in the conceptual model, and to test if the model fitted the data. The model fitted the data closely (CHISQ(14) = 11.37, p = 0.66; RMSEA = 0.0, 90%CI [0.00;0.034]. The effect of socio-demographic and medical data on HRQoL was mediated by days on holiday (MCS: beta = .21) and emotional support (PCS: beta = .14; MCS: beta = .28). Also, female gender (beta = -.10), age (beta = .10), being chronically ill as a parent (beta = -.34), and care dependency of the child (beta = -.14; beta = -.15) were directly related to parental HRQoL. The final model was slightly different from the conceptual model. Main factors explaining parental HRQoL seemed to be emotional support, care dependency, days on holiday and being chronically ill as a parent. Holiday and emotional support mediated the effect of demographic and disease-related factors on HRQoL. Hours of employment, leisure time and household income did not mediate between background characteristics and HRQoL, contrasting the hypotheses.

The relationship between clinical insight and cognitive and affective empathy in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Atoui, Mia; El Jamil, Fatima; El Khoury, Joseph; Doumit, Mark; Syriani, Nathalie; Khani, Munir; Nahas, Ziad

2018-06-01

Schizophrenia is often associated with poor clinical insight (unawareness of mental illness and its symptoms) and deficits in empathy, which are important for social functioning. Cognitive empathy has been linked to clinical insight while affective empathy and its role in insight and pathology have received mixed evidence. Instruments assessing symptomatology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PANSS), clinical insight (Scales to assess awareness of mental disorders; SUMD), and cognitive and affective empathy were administered to 22 participants with first episode and chronic schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls. Self-report, parent-report, and performance based measures were used to assess cognitive and affective empathy (The interpersonal reactivity index; IRI/Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test/Faux Pas) to reduce bias and parse shared variance. Age of onset, gender, and symptomatology emerged as significant predictors of poor clinical insight. Additionally, the fantasy subscale of the IRI as reported by parents emerged as a positive predictor while the personal distress (parent report) subscale emerged as a negative predictor of awareness into mental illness. There were significant differences on performance-based measures of empathy between the control and schizophrenia groups. Findings suggest that affective empathy is relatively intact across phases of illness whereas cognitive empathy abilities are compromised and could be targets for psychotherapy intervention.

How to support patients with severe mental illness in their parenting role with children aged over 1 year? A systematic review of interventions.

PubMed

Schrank, Beate; Moran, Katherine; Borghi, Cristiana; Priebe, Stefan

2015-12-01

There are well-established risks for parents with severe mental illness (i.e. psychotic and bipolar disorders), both for their children and themselves. Interventions to help parents fulfil their role should therefore be a public health objective, but their implementation needs to be underpinned by research evidence. This systematic review determines what is known about the nature and effectiveness of interventions for parents with severe mental illness. We conducted a narrative synthesis of controlled and uncontrolled studies reporting interventions for this patient group after the post-natal period (i.e. after the child has turned 1 year old). Eighteen publications reported data from 15 studies. All but two studies were rated as low quality studies. Interventions included home visiting programmes, complex community programmes, residential treatments, and online interventions. Interventions targeted diverse areas, with parenting skills and understanding the impact of mental illness on parenting most frequently addressed. Both parent and child-related outcomes improved, but children were only assessed via observers and follow-up times were short. Interventions were diverse with respect to their nature and effectiveness. Future interventions should combine different intervention strategies to target multiple areas in a flexible manner. The addition of positively focussed and resource-oriented components should be investigated. Trials should include direct assessments of both parents and children, outcomes that are relevant from a public health perspective, and establish the long-term effects ideally until children have reached 18 years of age.

Partnership in mental health and child welfare: social work responses to children living with parental mental illness.

PubMed

Sheehan, Rosemary

2004-01-01

Mental illness is an issue for a number of families reported to child protection agencies. Parents with mental health problems are more vulnerable, as are their children, to having parenting and child welfare concerns. A recent study undertaken in the Melbourne Children's Court (Victoria, Australia) found that the children of parents with mental health problems comprised just under thirty percent of all new child protection applications brought to the Court and referred to alternative dispute resolution, during the first half of 1998. This paper reports on the study findings, which are drawn from a descriptive survey of 228 Pre-Hearing Conferences. A data collection schedule was completed for each case, gathering information about the child welfare concerns, the parents' problems, including mental health problems, and the contribution by mental health professionals to resolving child welfare concerns. The study found that the lack of involvement by mental health social workers in the child protection system meant the Children's Court was given little appreciation of either a child's emotional or a parent's mental health functioning. The lack of effective cooperation between the adult mental health and child protection services also meant decisions made about these children were made without full information about the needs and the likely outcomes for these children and their parents. This lack of interagency cooperation between mental health social work and child welfare also emerged in the findings of the Icarus project, a cross-national project, led by Brunel University, in England. This project compared the views and responses of mental health and child welfare social workers to the dependent children of mentally ill parents, when there were child protection concerns. It is proposed that adult mental health social workers involve themselves in the assessment of, and interventions in, child welfare cases when appropriate, and share essential information about

The impact of influenza-like illness in young children on their parents: a quality of life survey.

PubMed

Chow, Maria Yui Kwan; Yin, Jiehui Kevin; Heron, Leon; Morrow, Angela; Dierig, Alexa; Booy, Robert; Leask, Julie

2014-06-01

Influenza-like illness can cause excess paediatric morbidity and burden on parents. We determined the quality of life (QoL) impact of children's influenza-like illness (ILI) on their parents. We conducted a prospective cohort study in childcare centres and a general practice in Sydney, Australia. Using PAR-ENT-QoL, we measured QoL of parents of children aged 6 months-3 years before the 2010 influenza season, then again for parents of children with ILI (ILI group) using SF-12v2 Acute Form and PAR-ENT-QoL, and contemporaneously for parents of aged-matched children without ILI (non-ILI group). Of 381 children enrolled from 90 childcare centres, 105 developed ILI. PAR-ENT-QoL scores of the ILI group were significantly lower in the post-ILI follow-up interviews than at baseline (60.99 vs. 79.77, p < 0.001), and those of non-ILI group at follow-up interviews (60.99 vs. 84.05, p < 0.001). SF-12v2 scores of the ILI group were also significantly lower than those of non-ILI group: physical component summary (50.66 vs. 53.16, p = 0.011) and mental component summary (45.67 vs. 53.66, p < 0.001). Two factors were significantly associated with parental QoL: total time spent caring child during ILI and whether the child had severe ILI or not. Correlations between PAR-ENT-QoL and SF-12v2 scores were satisfactory. Parents had significantly lower QoL while their child had ILI, compared with before ILI and with parents of children without ILI. The public health impact of ILI in children on the QoL in families is far from negligible. QoL measurement can complement economic evaluation of ILI disease burden and provide a more complete picture of impact.

Neurobiological correlates of illness progression in the recurrent affective disorders.

PubMed

Post, Robert M; Fleming, Jaclyn; Kapczinski, Flavio

2012-05-01

Some clinical aspects of affective illness progression, such as episode-, stress-, and substance-induced sensitization, have been well documented in the literature, but others have received less attention. These include cognitive deficits, treatment-refractoriness, and neurobiological correlates of illness progression, which are the primary focus of this paper. We review the evidence that cognitive dysfunction, treatment resistance, medical comorbidities, and neurobiological abnormalities increase as a function of the number of prior episodes or duration of illness in the recurrent unipolar and bipolar disorders. Substantial evidence supports the view that cognitive dysfunction and vulnerability to a diagnosis of dementia in old age increases as a function of number of prior mood episodes as does non-response to many therapeutic interventions as well as naturalistic treatment. Neurobiological abnormalities that correlate with the number of mood episodes or duration of illness include: anatomical, functional, and biochemical deficits in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as amygdala hyperactivity and cortisol hyper-secretion. Some neurotrophic factors and inflammatory markers may also change with greater illness burden. Causality cannot be inferred from these correlative relationships. Nonetheless, given the potentially grave consequences of episode recurrence and progression for morbidity and treatment non-responsiveness, it is clinically wise to assume episodes are causing some of the progressive cognitive and neurobiological abnormalities. As such, earlier and more sustained long-term prophylaxis to attempt to reduce these adverse outcomes is indicated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental emotion socialization in clinically depressed adolescents: Enhancing, and dampening positive affect

PubMed Central

Katz, Lynn Fainsilber; Shortt, Joann Wu; Allen, Nicholas B.; Davis, Betsy; Hunter, Erin; Leve, Craig; Sheeber, Lisa

2013-01-01

This study compared parental socialization of adolescent positive affect in families of depressed and healthy adolescents. Participants were 107 adolescents (42 boys) aged 14 - 18 years and their parents. Half of the participants met criteria for major depressive disorder and the others were demographically matched adolescents without emotional or behavioral disorders. Results based on multi-source questionnaire and interview data indicated that mothers and fathers of depressed adolescents were less accepting of adolescents’ positive affect and more likely to use strategies that dampen adolescents’ positive affect than were parents of healthy adolescents. Additionally, fathers of depressed adolescents exhibited fewer responses likely to enhance the adolescents’ positive affect than were fathers of healthy adolescents. These findings build on those of previous work in examining parental responses to adolescent emotions, focusing on positive emotions and including both mothers and fathers. PMID:23942826

Depression, anxiety and positive affect in people diagnosed with low-grade tumours: the role of illness perceptions.

PubMed

Keeling, Melanie; Bambrough, Jacki; Simpson, Jane

2013-06-01

People with low-grade brain tumour experience a range of emotional, behavioural and psychosocial consequences. Using Leventhal's self-regulation model to explore biopsychosocial factors associated with distress, we examine the relationships between illness perceptions, coping and depression, anxiety and positive affect. A cross-sectional, self-report study in which 74 people (54% women) diagnosed with a low-grade brain tumour completed the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised was conducted. Mean time since diagnosis was 27.69 months (SD = 19.79). Mean age was 38.30 years (SD = 10.67). The Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised, in addition to clinical, demographic and coping variables previously associated with psychological distress, was used to predict three psychological outcomes: depression, anxiety and positive affect. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that a biopsychosocial causal attribution was a significant predictor of anxiety and depression. Illness identity also emerged as a significant predictor of depression scores. Coping through self-blame was the only coping variable to emerge as a significant predictor of anxiety scores. A combination of coping through venting, acceptance, positive reframing, denial, behavioural disengagement and self-blame contributed to the variance in all three psychological outcome scores. No illness perception variables significantly predicted positive affect. Illness perceptions play a significant role in emotional distress experienced by people with low-grade brain tumours. Illness perceptions did not play a significant role in positive affect. Coping variables were shown to significantly contribute to the scores on all three psychological outcomes. Results suggest interventions targeted at modifying illness perceptions and enhancing problem-focused coping strategies may reduce psychological distress. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Child-related cognitions and affective functioning of physically abusive and comparison parents.

PubMed

Haskett, Mary E; Smith Scott, Susan; Grant, Raven; Ward, Caryn Sabourin; Robinson, Canby

2003-06-01

The goal of this research was to utilize the cognitive behavioral model of abusive parenting to select and examine risk factors to illuminate the unique and combined influences of social cognitive and affective variables in predicting abuse group membership. Participants included physically abusive parents (n=56) and a closely-matched group of comparison parents (n=62). Social cognitive risk variables measured were (a) parent's expectations for children's abilities and maturity, (b) parental attributions of intentionality of child misbehavior, and (c) parents' perceptions of their children's adjustment. Affective risk variables included (a) psychopathology and (b) parenting stress. A series of logistic regression models were constructed to test the individual, combined, and interactive effects of risk variables on abuse group membership. The full set of five risk variables was predictive of abuse status; however, not all variables were predictive when considered individually and interactions did not contribute significantly to prediction. A risk composite score computed for each parent based on the five risk variables significantly predicted abuse status. Wide individual differences in risk across the five variables were apparent within the sample of abusive parents. Findings were generally consistent with a cognitive behavioral model of abuse, with cognitive variables being more salient in predicting abuse status than affective factors. Results point to the importance of considering diversity in characteristics of abusive parents.

Validating the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire as a Measure of Parent Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mire, Sarah S.; Tolar, Tammy D.; Brewton, Christie M.; Raff, Natalie S.; McKee, Shannon L.

2018-01-01

The illness perception questionnaire (IPQ) and its revision (IPQ-R) measure perceptions about health-related diagnoses and the influence of cognitions on coping. In this study, the factor structure of a version revised for use with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was investigated with a sample of parents (n = 361) whose children have ASD.…

Evaluating workforce developments to support children of mentally ill parents: implementing new interventions in the adult mental healthcare in Northern Norway

PubMed Central

Lauritzen, Camilla; van Doesum, Karin T M

2012-01-01

Background According to new Norwegian laws, mental healthcare for adults are obligated to assess all patients who are parents and to act on their children's needs. This article describes the study protocol of implementing the interventions Family Assessment and Child Talks for children of patients in the adult psychiatry of the University Hospital of Northern Norway. The project is designed to evaluate the process of changes in clinical practice due to the implementation of two interventions. The interventions to be implemented are a standardised Family Assessment Form and the intervention called Child Talks. The family assessment form is an intervention to identify children of mentally ill parents and their needs. The intervention Child Talks is a health-promoting and preventive intervention where the mental health workers talk with the family about the situation of the children and their needs. Methods/design There are two groups of participants in this study: (1) mental health workers in the clinic (N=220) and (2) patients who are parents (N=200) receiving treatment in the clinic. (1) In the evaluation of clinical practice, the authors use a pre-test, post-test and 1-year follow-up design. At pre-test, the authors evaluate status quo among mental health workers in the clinic regarding knowledge, attitudes, collaborative routines and clinical practice related to families with parental mental illness. After the pre-test is finished, the project move on to implement the interventions Family Assessment Form and Child Talks in the clinic. At post-test and 1-year follow-up, the authors evaluate the impact of implementing the Family Assessment Form in terms of how many children were identified and offered Child Talks in the clinic or referred to other services for additional support. (2) In the evaluation of parents/patients experience with the interventions, the authors use a pre-test post-test design. To identify children of mentally ill patients, the authors collect

[Students Having Parents with Mental Health Issues and Teachers' Mental Health Literacy].

PubMed

Bruland, Dirk; Kornblum, Katharina; Harsch, Stefanie; Bröder, Janine; Okan, Orkan; Bauer, Ullrich

2017-12-01

Students Having Parents with Mental Health Issues and Teachers' Mental Health Literacy Mental health issues of parents of school children often negatively affects the children as well, including their school performance and social behavior in the school setting. Teachers are then required to take actions with regards to supporting children in their coping with and mastering of their home situation and their responds to educational demands. As such, schools' and teachers' actions can either support affected children and fulfill a protective function or respond inappropriately, with negative impact on the affected children. Although the societal discussion about and acceptance of mental illnesses have increased in recent years, scientific knowledge on how well teachers are prepared for meeting the needs of affected students remains insufficient. Therefore, this research study examines teachers' attitudes towards, knowledge about, and competencies regarding children affected by a mentally ill parent. 15 in-depth interviews and 3 focus groups (n = 11) with teachers from primary and secondary schools were conducted and systematically analyzed. Although burdens in the family are perceived as major influences on children's school day and performance, teachers report to not feel sufficiently prepared for and uncertain about supporting and coping with the special needs of affected students. Instead they report to "learn from a case to case" basis. Recognizing the family situation of children with mentally ill parents is reported to be especially difficult for teachers. Responding inadequately and insensitive to the needs of affected children was perceived as a serious burden for teachers themselves. While schools can function as entry points to professional social help systems, teachers frequently reported barriers and challenges in accessing, communicating, and collaborating with these systems. The practical implications of these results regarding the "Mental Health

Family Functioning and Child Behavioral Problems in Households Affected by HIV and AIDS in Kenya.

PubMed

Thurman, Tonya R; Kidman, Rachel; Nice, Johanna; Ikamari, Lawrence

2015-08-01

HIV places acute stressors on affected children and families; especially in resource limited contexts like sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their importance, the epidemic's potential consequences for family dynamics and children's psychological health are understudied. Using a population-based sample of 2,487 caregivers and 3,423 children aged 8-14 years from the Central Province of Kenya, analyses were conducted to examine whether parental illness and loss were associated with family functioning and children's externalizing behaviors. After controlling for demographics, a significant relationship between parental illness and externalizing behaviors was found among children of both genders. Orphan status was associated with behavioral problems among only girls. Regardless of gender, children experiencing both parental loss and illness fared the worst. Family functioning measured from the perspective of both caregivers and children also had an independent and important relationship with behavioral problems. Findings suggest that psychological and behavioral health needs may be elevated in households coping with serious illness and reiterate the importance of a family-centered approach for HIV-affected children.

Spiritual beliefs in bipolar affective disorder: their relevance for illness management.

PubMed

Mitchell, Logan; Romans, Sarah

2003-08-01

There has been growing interest in investigating religion as a relevant element in illness outcome. Having religious beliefs has been shown repeatedly to be associated with lessened rates of depression. Most of the limited published research has been restricted to elderly samples. Religious coping is thought to play a key role in religion's effects. Strangely, psychiatric research has neglected this area. A questionnaire covering religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs and religious practice was given to a sample of patients with bipolar affective disorder in remission. Most patients often held strong religious or spiritual beliefs (78%) and practised their religion frequently (81.5%). Most saw a direct link between their beliefs and the management of their illness. Many used religious coping, and often religio-spiritual beliefs and practice put them in conflict with illness models (24%) and advice (19%) used by their medical advisors. This was a cross-sectional design without a control group and thus it is not possible to determine causal associations from the data set. Religio-spiritual ideas are of great salience to many patients with bipolar disorder and shape the ways in which they think about their illness. Many reported experiencing significant paradigm conflict in understanding and managing their illness between medical and their spiritual advisors. These data suggest that the whole area of religion and spirituality is directly relevant to people living with a chronic psychiatric illness and should be firmly on the discussion agenda of clinicians working with patients with bipolar disorder.

An Online Health Prevention Intervention for Youth with Addicted or Mentally Ill Parents: Experiences and Perspectives of Participants and Providers from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Woolderink, Marla; Bindels, Jill A P M; Evers, Silvia M A A; Paulus, Aggie T G; van Asselt, Antoinette D I; van Schayck, Onno C P

2015-12-02

Mental illnesses affect many people around the world, either directly or indirectly. Families of persons suffering from mental illness or addiction suffer too, especially their children. In the Netherlands, 864,000 parents meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental illness or addiction. Evidence shows that offspring of mentally ill or addicted parents are at risk for developing mental disorders or illnesses themselves. The Kopstoring course is an online 8-week group course with supervision by 2 trained psychologists or social workers, aimed to prevent behavioral and psychological problems for children (aged 16 to 25 years) of parents with mental health problems or addictions. The course addresses themes such as roles in the family and mastery skills. An online randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Kopstoring course. The aim was to gain knowledge about expectations, experiences, and perspectives of participants and providers of the online Kopstoring course. A process evaluation was performed to evaluate the online delivery of Kopstoring and the experiences and perspectives of participants and providers of Kopstoring. Interviews were performed with members from both groups. Participants were drawn from a sample from the Kopstoring RCT. Thirteen participants and 4 providers were interviewed. Five main themes emerged from these interviews: background, the requirements for the intervention, experience with the intervention, technical aspects, and research aspects. Overall, participants and providers found the intervention to be valuable because it was online; therefore, protecting their anonymity was considered a key component. Most barriers existed in the technical sphere. Additional barriers existed with conducting the RCT, namely gathering informed consent and gathering parental consent in the case of minors. This study provides valuable insight into participants' and providers' experiences and expectations with the online

Parenthood and severe mental illness: relationships with recovery.

PubMed

Bonfils, Kelsey A; Adams, Erin L; Firmin, Ruth L; White, Laura M; Salyers, Michelle P

2014-09-01

Parenting is an important life domain for many people, but little research examines the parenting experience and its role in recovery for those with a severe mental illness. The current study provides preliminary evidence of how these concepts are related in a sample of individuals living with severe mental illness attending a community mental health center. We also explored potential differences between mothers and fathers, which could help better tailor services to meet the needs of parents with severe mental illness. Data were obtained during baseline interviews for a study testing an intervention designed to increase shared decision making in psychiatric treatment. Participants (N = 167) were administered measures of patient activation, recovery, autonomy preference, hope, and trust in providers. We compared parents and nonparents and compared mothers and fathers using chi-square tests, t tests, and, when appropriate, analysis of covariance. Parents had a significantly higher level of trust in their psychiatric care provider than nonparents. Contrary to hypotheses, parents were less active in their treatment and preferred less information-seeking autonomy than did nonparents, but did not differ on other recovery-related indices. No differences on recovery-related indices were detected between mothers and fathers. Secondary analyses revealed parents with minor children had more hope than parents of older children. Although parents may have higher levels of trust in their physicians, our preliminary findings suggest that parents with severe mental illness may benefit from increased efforts to help them be more active and interested in information about their illnesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Maintaining everyday life in a family with a dying parent: Teenagers' experiences of adapting to responsibility.

PubMed

Melcher, Ulrica; Sandell, Rolf; Henriksson, Anette

2015-12-01

Teenagers are living through a turbulent period in their development, when they are breaking away from the family to form their own identities, and so they are particularly vulnerable to the stressful situation of having a parent affected by a progressive and incurable illness. The current study sought to gain more knowledge about the ways that teenagers themselves describe living in a family with a seriously ill and dying parent. More specifically, the aims were to describe how teenagers are emotionally affected by everyday life in a family with a dying parent and to determine how they attempt to adapt to this situation. The study employed a descriptive and interpretive design using qualitative content analysis. A total of 10 teenagers (aged 14-19 years, 7 boys and 3 girls) participated through repeated, individual, informal interviews that were carried out as free-ranging conversations. While contending with their own vulnerable developmental period of life, the teenagers were greatly affected by their parent's illness and took on great responsibility for supporting their parents and siblings, and for maintaining family life. Lacking sufficient information and support left them rather unprepared, having to guess and to interpret the vague signs of failing health on their own, with feelings of uncertainty and loneliness as a consequence. Support from healthcare professionals should be designed to help and encourage parents to have open communications about their illness with their teenaged children. Our results add further support to the literature, reinforcing the need for an approach that uses a systemic perspective and considers the family to be the appropriate unit of care and offers a suitable support system.

[The situation of siblings of mentally ill people].

PubMed

Schmid, R; Spiessl, H; Cording, C

2005-12-01

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the current research regarding the situation of mentally ill persons. The relevant literature was identified by means of a computerized MEDLINE search on the years 1996 - 2004 with the key words "sibling" and "mentally ill"/"chronically ill"/"psychiatric disorder" (631 articles). Also the related articles in the MEDLINE search were viewed. Finally 170 articles of journals and books were included in the review. The situation of siblings of psychiatric ill has manifold aspects, which can be classified into the following categories: Burdens due to the relationship to the ill sibling, burdens because of the relations to the shared parents and other family members, and burdens in the daily life of the siblings due to the illness of his/her sibling. On the other side there are rewards and positive developments in their life because of the illness of the sibling. Personal variables like sex, family size and age at onset of the illness are an influence on the experience of the sibling. The revealed burdens of the affected siblings require necessary answers by political representatives, professionals in and outside a clinic, and the involved families.

Spirituality, Illness Unpredictability, and Math Anxiety Effects on Negative Affect and Affect-Management Coping for Individuals Diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

PubMed

Worthington, Amber K; Parrott, Roxanne L; Smith, Rachel A

2018-04-01

A growing number of genetic tests are included in diagnostic protocols associated with many common conditions. A positive diagnosis associated with the presence of some gene versions in many instances predicts a range of possible outcomes, and the uncertainty linked to such results contributes to the need to understand varied responses and plan strategic communication. Uncertainty in illness theory (UIT; Mishel, 1988, 1990) guided the investigation of efforts to feel in control and hopeful regarding genetic testing and diagnosis for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). Participants included 137 individuals with AATD recruited from the Alpha-1 Research Registry who were surveyed about their subjective numeracy, anxiety about math, spirituality, perceptions of illness unpredictability, negative affect regarding genetic testing, and coping strategies about a diagnosis. Results revealed that experiencing more fear and worry contributed both directly and indirectly to affect-management coping strategies, operating through individual perceptions of illness unpredictability. The inability to predict the symptoms and course of events related to a genetic illness and anxiety regarding math heightened fear and worry. Spirituality lessened both illness unpredictability and negative affective responses to a diagnosis. Results affirm the importance of clinician and counselor efforts to incorporate attention to patient spirituality. They also illustrate the complexity associated with strategic efforts to plan communication about the different versions of a gene's effects on well-being, when some versions align with mild health effects and others with severe effects.

['NischE - Nicht von schlechten Eltern' - Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Teamwork Approach to Support Children in Families with Mentally Ill Parents].

PubMed

Nienaber, A; Wieskus-Friedemann, E; Kliem, S; Hoppmann, J; Kemper, U; Löhr, M; Kronmüller, K-T; Wabnitz, P

2017-02-01

Objective: Evaluation of a project offering low-threshold anonymous counseling services jointly by mental health services and child and youth services to support children in families with mentally ill parents Methods: Evaluating performance data and completed questionnaires returned by parents included in the project. Results: Between 2011-2014, 150 families received up to 10 sessions of family-oriented counseling. The survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the services of the cooperation project. The vast majority of respondents said that they would recommend this service to others or would themselves take advantage of the services again. Conclusion: A collaboration of service providers from psychiatry and child and youth welfare department resulting in continuous availability of counseling with a common family medical perspective represents a forward-looking model for families with a mentally ill parent. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Treated Mental Illness and the Risk of Child Abuse Perpetration.

PubMed

Friedman, Susan Hatters; McEwan, Miranda V

2018-02-01

Despite a limited empirical literature, parental mental illness is often cited as a major risk factor for violence against children. However, mental illness that is adequately treated would not be expected to lead to increased violence risk. This study compared incidents of violence toward children perpetrated by parents who were newly discharged from inpatient psychiatric treatment with violence perpetrated by other parents in the same communities to determine whether parents with treated mental illness had an elevated risk of child abuse perpetration. A secondary analysis of data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study was conducted. Violence toward children reported by parents and by collateral informants at the initial ten-week follow-up interview was analyzed for two groups: study participants discharged from inpatient psychiatric facilities and parents in the community matched by neighborhood. Of the 416 parents in the participant group, 20 (5%) committed violence toward a child in the ten weeks after discharge, compared with 41 (14%) of the 299 parents in the comparison group. In the participant group, diagnostic categories of parents who committed violence toward a child were as follows: serious mental illness only (8% of whom were violent), substance use disorder only (3%), both serious mental illness and substance use disorder (4%), and another issue (7%). This study found that parents with treated serious mental illness were not at higher risk than other parents in their community of perpetrating violence toward children. Parents who were admitted to an acute psychiatric facility and treated appeared to be at lower risk of being violent toward children than other parents in their community.

Parental health shocks, child labor and educational outcomes: Evidence from Tanzania.

PubMed

Alam, Shamma Adeeb

2015-12-01

This paper examines the impact of parental illness on children's education. We find that only father's illness decreases children's school attendance. Father's illness also has long-term impacts on child education, as it decreases children's likelihood of completing primary school and leads to fewer years of schooling. However, we find no evidence that father's illness affects schooling through increased child labor. Instead, father's illness decreases household's income and reduces school attendance possibly because of the reduced ability of the family to afford education. In contrast, mother's illness and illness of other household members have no effect on children's schooling. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Socialization of Affect: Effects of Parent Attitudes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saarni, Carolyn

Children's beliefs about why affective expressive behavior should be dissociated from internal state were elicited via a structured interview and investigated in conjunction with their parents' (1) attitudes toward children's expressive behavior, (2) perceptions of their own self-monitoring, and (3) perceptions of their families'"social…

Manipulation of parental effort affects plumage bacterial load in a wild passerine.

PubMed

Alt, Grete; Saag, Pauli; Mägi, Marko; Kisand, Veljo; Mänd, Raivo

2015-06-01

It has been suggested that plumage microorganisms play an important role in shaping the life histories of wild birds. Some bacteria may act as pathogens or cause damage to feathers, and thereby reduce individual fitness. Intense parental care in birds can result in a reduction of self-maintenance and preening behavior in parents and therefore might affect the dynamics of microbiota living on their feathers. However, experimental evidence of this relationship is virtually absent. We manipulated the parental effort of wild breeding pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) females by modifying their brood size or temporarily removing male partners. We expected that experimentally decreasing or increasing parental effort would affect feather sanitation in females and therefore also bacterial density on their plumage. In accordance with this hypothesis, manipulation affected the density of free-living bacteria: females with reduced broods had the lowest number of free-living bacteria on their feathers, while females left without male partners had the highest. However, manipulation did not have a significant effect on the densities of attached bacteria. Our results provide experimental evidence that a trade-off between self-maintenance and parental effort affects plumage bacterial densities in birds.

[Attachment Quality of Young Children with Mentally Ill Parents on the Example of the Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome].

PubMed

Ramberg, Axel; Feldkötter, Sinja

2015-01-01

One of the most discussed questions in clinical literature concerns the impact of child abuse by mentally ill parents (cf. Mattejat, 1998). It's obvious that most children cannot understand such a parental behaviour and that this lack of understanding along with the lack of knowledge about their parents' emotional disorder results in childrens' fear, disorientation and uncertainty. The consequences are massive interferences in the relationship between parents and children, who could develop an anxious-resistant insecure or even a disorganized/disoriented attachment. But how does a child react, if the behaviour of its parents is ambivalent itself and alternates from abuse to care? Such a parental behaviour is described as the "Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome". This article regards the effects of a "Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome" on the childrens' attachment development. After discussing the basic assumptions about the "Munchhauen by Proxy Syndrome" and the attachment theory we draw conclusions about the syndrome's effect on childrens' attachment behaviour.

Associations Between Infant Negative Affect and Parent Anxiety Symptoms are Bidirectional: Evidence from Mothers and Fathers

PubMed Central

Brooker, Rebecca J.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Leve, Leslie D.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Scaramella, Laura V.; Reiss, David

2015-01-01

Little is known about child-based effects on parents’ anxiety symptoms early in life despite the possibility that child characteristics may contribute to the quality of the early environment and children’s own long-term risk for psychological disorder. We examined bidirectional effects between parent anxiety symptoms and infant negative affect using a prospective adoption design. Infant negative affect and adoptive parent anxiety symptoms were assessed at child ages 9, 18, and 27 months. Birth parent negative affect was assessed at child age 18 months. More anxiety symptoms in adoptive parents at child age 9 months predicted more negative affect in infants 9 months later. More infant negative affect at child age 9 months predicted more anxiety symptoms in adoptive parents 18 months later. Patterns of results did not differ for adoptive mothers and adoptive fathers. Birth parent negative affect was unrelated to infant or adoptive parent measures. Consistent with expectations, associations between infant negative affect and rearing parents’ anxiety symptoms appear to be bidirectional. In addition to traditional parent-to-child effects, our results suggest that infants’ characteristics may contribute to parent qualities that are known to impact childhood outcomes. PMID:26696939

Children living with a mentally ill parent: the role of public health nurses.

PubMed

Mahoney, Laurie

2010-08-01

Public Health Nurses work with children under 18 years in schools and the community. Increasingly children are living with a parent suffering from a mental illness. Consequently Public Health Nurses are encountering more mental illness as part of their practice. The research reported in this article aimed to identify the Public Health Nurse's role with regard to children in these circumstances. A qualitative research design was used with eight Public Health Nurses working in rural and urban settings. Participants engaged in a focus group from which data were gathered and analysed thematically using axial coding. To evaluate the identified themes six of the participants went on to take part in a further focus group. The three key themes identified were Advocacy, Assessment, and Relational Knowing and Clinical Practice. It emerged that the role of Public Health Nurses working with such families involved advocating for the child, using a range of assessment skills to gather relevant information and make referrals, with all informed by expert knowledge and clinical experience. Findings indicate the need for more acknowledgement of the frequency with which Public Health Nurses are encountering problems associated with mental illness; and hence the need for provision of appropriate education and support that will enable them to effectively advocate for children's safety and wellbeing.

'You are Okay': a support and educational program for children with mild intellectual disability and their parents with a mental illness: study protocol of a quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Riemersma, Ivon; van Santvoort, Floor; Janssens, Jan M A M; Hosman, Clemens M H; van Doesum, Karin T M

2015-12-24

Children of parents with a mental illness or substance use disorder (COPMI) have an increased risk of developing social-emotional problems themselves. Fear of stigmatisation or unawareness of problems prevents children and parents from understanding each other. Little is known about COPMI with mild intellectual disabilities (ID), except that they have a high risk of developing social-emotional problems and require additional support. In this study, we introduce a program for this group, the effectiveness of which we will study using a quasi-experimental design based on matching. The program 'You are okay' consists of a support group for children and an online educational program for parents. The goal of the program is to increase children and parents' perceived competence with an aim to prevent social-emotional problems in children. Children between ten and twenty years old with mild ID (IQ between 50 and 85) and at least one of their parents with a mental illness will be included in the study. The children will receive part time treatment or residential care from an institute for children with mild ID and behavioural problems. Participants will be assigned to the intervention or the control group. The study has a quasi-experimental design. The children in the intervention group will join a support group, and their parents will be offered an online educational program. Children in the control group will receive care as usual, and their parents will have no extra offer. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-test, and follow up (6 months). Children, parents, and social workers will fill out the questionnaires. The 'You are okay' program is expected to increase children and parents' perceived competence, which can prevent (further) social-emotional problem development. Because the mental illness of parents can be related to the behavioural problems of their children, it is important that children and parents understand each other. When talking about the

[Informing members of families affected by fragile X syndrome of this diagnosis].

PubMed

Carrasco, M

2001-10-01

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder that may seriously affect the development of patients. One of the hardest tasks for the professionals of medicine is to tell the parents that their child is suffering a serious illness that may cause some permanent handicap. This normally implies drastic changes in live projects and expectations for the parents. The knowledge of diagnosis and the supply of information to the parents give rise to an important emotional impact on both parents and the rest of the family. In general terms, the patient implies more than a single ill person--a genetic illness such as FXS, which causes serious cognitive and behavioural disturbances, implies three situations that the family has to face: on one hand, the family has to accept a new world that had never been known; a son or daughter with a genetic disorder unknown not only for them, but also for most of the professionals they have visited before having a diagnosis, and in many cases with special needs and serious behavioural disturbances. On the other hand, the family must accept that the diagnosis may not be restricted to the patient, because some other members of the family could be suffering from the same illness. Finally, they have to face the fact that one of the parents has transmitted the illness, that is, 'the genetic guilt' in the illness of their son or daughter.

Parental anxiety and affecting factors in acute paediatric blunt head injury.

PubMed

Serinken, M; Kocyigit, A; Karcioglu, O; Sengül, C; Hatipoğlu, C; Elicabuk, H

2014-08-01

This study is designed to investigate the factors affecting parental anxiety regarding their children with head injury in the emergency department (ED). This prospective observational study enrolled all consecutive paediatric patients admitted to the university-based ED with the presenting chief complaint of paediatric blunt head injury (PBHI). The parents were asked to respond to the 10-item questionnaire during both presentation and discharge. Anxiety and persuasion scores of the parents were calculated and magnitudes of the decreases in anxiety and persuasion scores were analysed with respect to sociodemographic and clinical variables. The study sample included 341 patients admitted to the ED. The anxiety and persuasion scores of mothers and fathers were not significantly different from each other on presentation while the extent of decrease in anxiety scores of mothers were significantly smaller than that of the fathers (p=0.003). The parents' education levels had significant impact on anxiety and persuasion scores recorded on presentation. The anxiety and persuasion scores were inversely related to education levels of the parents on presentation (p=0.002 and p=0.000, respectively). In addition, lower education levels were found to be associated with a greater decrease in anxiety and persuasion scores. Neurosurgical consultation also affected the magnitude of the decrease in anxiety and persuasion scores of the parents. The changes in the scores were affected negatively by the parents' age. Radiological investigations had no significant impact on the decrease in anxiety and persuasion scores of the parents by themselves, while neurosurgical consultation had significant impact on them. Emergency physicians should tailor their strategy to institute effective communication with the parents of children to cut down unnecessary investigations in PBHI. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence

Sex-Specific Effect of Recalled Parenting on Affective and Cognitive Empathy in Adulthood.

PubMed

Lyons, Minna T; Brewer, Gayle; Bethell, Emily J

2017-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated the influence of parenting on the development of children's empathy. However, few studies have considered the impact of parents on empathy in adulthood, specific components of empathy, or the importance of parent and child biological sex. In the present study, 226 participants (71 men) completed online versions of the Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker et al. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 52, 1-10 1979), Empathy Quotient (Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 163-175 2004), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85 1980). Paternal care and overprotection influenced affective empathy in men, whilst maternal overprotection predicted affective empathy in women. Further, maternal care related to cognitive empathy in men, whilst none of the parental care variables related to cognitive empathy in women. Findings are discussed in relation to sex differences in childhood parenting experiences on adult cognitive and affective empathy.

Siblings of children with a chronic illness: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Sharpe, Donald; Rossiter, Lucille

2002-12-01

To review the literature pertaining to the siblings of children with a chronic illness. Fifty-one published studies and 103 effect sizes were identified and examined through meta-analysis. We found (1) a modest, negative effect size statistic existed for siblings of children with a chronic illness relative to comparison participants or normative data; (2) heterogeneity existed for those effect sizes; (3) parent reports were more negative than child self-reports; (4) psychological functioning (i.e., depression, anxiety), peer activities, and cognitive development scores were lower for siblings of children with a chronic illness compared to controls; and (5) a cluster of chronic illnesses with daily treatment regimes was associated with negative effect statistics compared to chronic illnesses that did not affect daily functioning. More methodologically sound studies investigating the psychological functioning of siblings of children with a chronic illness are needed. Clinicians need to know that siblings of children with a chronic illness are at risk for negative psychological effects. Intervention programs for the siblings and families of children with a chronic illness should be developed.

Retrospective reports of parental physical affection and parenting style: a study of Finnish twins.

PubMed

Harlaar, Nicole; Santtila, Pekka; Björklund, Johanna; Alanko, Katarina; Jern, Patrick; Varjonen, Markus; von der Pahlen, Bettina; Sandnabba, Kenneth

2008-08-01

Individual differences in parenting behaviors are due, in part, to genetic factors. In the present study, the authors sought to determine whether the degree of genetic influence varied according to the type of parental behavior under consideration. A population-based sample of 2,334 pairs of Finnish twins provided ratings on the physical affection, control, abusiveness, and indifference shown by their father and mother during childhood. Genetic influences, shared environmental influences, and nonshared environmental influences accounted for a small-to-medium proportion (17%-30%), a small-to-large proportion (22%-44%), and a medium-to-large proportion (37%-55%) of the variance in each parenting measure, respectively. There were no significant differences in effect sizes for mothers and fathers or across the 4 types of parental behavior. The genetic results may reflect characteristic styles with which parents respond to genetically influenced behaviors of individuals (gene-environment correlations) or individual perceptions of this relationship (gene-person correlation processes). The findings have implications for intervention and prevention work with families and for interpretation of evidence for interactions between genes and parenting behaviors.

Illness perception ratings of high-risk newborns by mothers and clinicians: relationship to illness severity and maternal stress.

PubMed

Brooks, Stacey; Rowley, Simon; Broadbent, Elizabeth; Petrie, Keith J

2012-09-01

Patients' views of illness are often thought to differ from those of medical staff, although this is rarely assessed. This study examined the correspondence between mothers' and clinicians' perceptions of the same high-risk newborns, as well as with an objective measure of illness severity. We also investigated how mothers' perceptions were related to reported stress. Mothers of 99 high-risk infants admitted to either a neonatal intensive care or neonatal high dependency unit, which offers specialized but not intensive care, completed illness perception ratings of their baby's condition as well as perceived stress 3 to 5 days following admission. At the same time, a standardized measure of neonatal illness severity was calculated and the baby's primary neonatologist completed illness perceptions ratings. Unlike clinician ratings, mothers' illness perceptions were not significantly correlated with illness severity. Mothers generally rated babies in both units as sicker and having a more serious illness than did neonatologists. Whereas clinicians, compared with mothers, rated babies in intensive care as having an illness that would affect their life more and last for a longer time. Mothers rated medical treatment to be significantly more helpful than did clinicians, particularly for babies admitted to the high dependency unit. Mothers' stress was significantly associated with illness perceptions but unrelated to illness severity. Significant differences exist in the perceptions of illness severity, helpfulness of treatment, and the long-term effects of the baby's illness between parents and clinicians and this may lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations in communication. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Parents served by assertive community treatment: parenting needs, services, and attitudes.

PubMed

White, Laura M; McGrew, John H; Salyers, Michelle P

2013-03-01

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is an evidence-based practice for individuals with severe mental illness. Although at least half of all people with severe mental illness are parents, little is known about their experiences as parents and as recipients of mental health interventions like ACT. The purpose of the current study was to examine the experiences of parent consumers served by ACT. Seventeen parents being served by ACT teams were interviewed about parenting, parenting needs, severe mental illness, satisfaction with ACT services, and suggestions for improved parent-focused treatment services. All parents identified at least one positive aspect of parenting and most parents (77%) also identified negative aspects of parenting. Loss of custody emerged as a significant parenting problem, with most parents (88%) experiencing custody loss at least once. Parents expressed interest in numerous parent-focused services, including family therapy, parenting skills, communication skills training, resources for children, and peer support groups. Most participants with adult children (88%) reported having no unmet parent-related needs and high satisfaction (4.63 of 5) with ACT services, whereas parents with young children (78%) reported having several unmet parenting needs and relatively lower satisfaction (3.78 out of 5) with ACT services. The ACT treatment model may not be adequately serving parents of young, dependent children. Findings suggest the need for more attention and focus on parent consumers, including identification of parental status and improved parent-related treatment services and support. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Quality of life for parents of children with influenza-like illness: development and validation of Care-ILI-QoL.

PubMed

Chow, Maria Yui Kwan; Morrow, Angela; Heron, Leon; Yin, Jiehui Kevin; Booy, Robert; Leask, Julie

2014-04-01

Influenza-like illnesses (ILI) cause paediatric morbidity and affect the quality of life (QoL) of children and their parents. We have developed a disease-specific questionnaire (Care-ILI-QoL) to measure the QoL of caregivers of children with ILI. The drafting of the Care-ILI-QoL questionnaire was based on a systematic review, a quantitative survey, qualitative interviews with parents, and meetings with paediatricians. Children aged 6-48 months recruited from childcare centres in Sydney, Australia, were followed up during the 2011 influenza season. Care-ILI-QoL and SF-12v2 Acute Form were administered to the parent of a sick child 2 weeks after the onset of ILI, and again 2 weeks after the child had recovered. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Internal consistency, concurrent validity, discriminant validity, homogeneity of items, and responsiveness were tested. Out of the 125 children enrolled from 48 childcare centres, 55 children had ILI (total 75 ILI episodes). Care-ILI-QoL was reduced from 25 to 16 items covering four factors: Daily Activities, Perceived Support, Social Life, and Emotions (Cronbach's alphas 0.90, 0.92, 0.78, and 0.72, respectively). Care-ILI-QoL has satisfactory concurrent and discriminant validity, good internal consistency, and excellent responsiveness. Total QoL and factor scores correlated well with SF-12v2 scores. Total QoL scores were significantly lower in parents who perceived their child as very/extremely sick, sacrificed 10 hours or more in work or recreation in caring for the child, or whose child had two or more general practitioner visits. Total QoL and factor scores were significantly higher after the child had recovered than when the child had ILI. Care-ILI-QoL is the first ILI-specific QoL instrument for parents and is demonstrated to be valid and reliable in a developed country setting where the child is affected by ILI. It has the potential to be applied in clinical and research settings to assist measurement of

Experiences in a group of grown-up children of mentally ill parents.

PubMed

Knutsson-Medin, L; Edlund, B; Ramklint, M

2007-12-01

Children of mentally ill parents have increased rates of psychopathology and reduced adaptive functioning. However, there are very few studies examining the subjective experiences of those children and their opinions concerning their previous contact with psychiatric services. This study followed up a group of children of former psychiatric inpatients by sending them a questionnaire asking about their experiences. Thirty-six individuals responded. Answers were analysed qualitatively by using manifest content analysis. Participants reported negative experiences and lack of information and support from psychiatric care. They had wanted more explanations and more support for themselves. Quantitative data are used to establish the significance of the results.

Direct observations of parenting and real-time negative affect among adolescent smokers and nonsmokers.

PubMed

Richmond, Melanie J; Mermelstein, Robin J; Wakschlag, Lauren S

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examined how observations of parental general communication style and control with their adolescents predicted changes in negative affect over time for adolescent smokers and nonsmokers. Participants were 9th- and 10th-grade adolescents (N = 111; 56.8% female) who had all experimented with cigarettes and were thus at risk for continued smoking and escalation; 36% of these adolescents (n = 40) had smoked in the past month at baseline and were considered smokers in the present analyses. Adolescents participated separately with mothers and fathers in observed parent-adolescent problem-solving discussions to assess parenting at baseline. Adolescent negative affect was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 24 months via ecological momentary assessment. Among both smoking and nonsmoking adolescents, escalating negative affect significantly increased risk for future smoking. Higher quality maternal and paternal communication predicted a decline in negative affect over 1.5 years for adolescent smokers but was not related to negative affect for nonsmokers. Controlling maternal, but not paternal, parenting predicted escalation in negative affect for all adolescents. Findings suggest that reducing negative affect among experimenting youth can reduce risk for smoking escalation. Therefore, family-based prevention efforts for adolescent smoking escalation might consider parental general communication style and control as intervention targets. However, adolescent smoking status and parent gender may moderate these effects.

An Analysis of a Novel, Short-Term Therapeutic Psychoeducational Program for Children and Adolescents with Chronic Neurological Illness and Their Parents; Feasibility and Efficacy.

PubMed

Joo, Bonglim; Lee, Young-Mock; Kim, Heung Dong; Eom, Soyong

2017-01-01

The purpose of this intervention was to develop a therapeutic psycho-educational program that improves quality of life in children and adolescents who are experiencing chronic neurological illness, including epilepsy, and their parents, and to analyze the intervention's feasibility and efficacy and participants' satisfaction. Participants were eight children ( n = 8) and adolescents and their parents; participating children were experiencing chronic neurological illness with psychological comorbidity; children with intellectual impairment were excluded (IQ < 80). The program was carried out weekly for four sessions. In each of the 4 weeks, children's session content addressed self, emotion, coping skills, and finishing up, respectively; and parents' session content targeted family dynamic and emotional intervention, coping skills, childcare and education, and finishing up, respectively. Clinical psychologists administered psychological assessments (viz., Child Behavior Checklist, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Parenting Stress Index, Beck Depression Inventory, Children's Depression Inventory, and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale) at pre- and post-intervention, and administered satisfaction surveys following the intervention. Participants' opinions about the program's necessity, contents, and process, and participants' overall program satisfaction were analyzed. Parents and children reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. Externalizing behavioral problems, anxiety/depression, and emotional functioning from quality of life showed improvement after the intervention. Although not statistically significant, total child stress trended downward from pre- to post-intervention. A four-session structured therapeutic psycho-educational program for children and adolescents with chronic neurological illness and their parents was successfully implemented, showing good compliance and high satisfaction and efficacy.

Impact of childhood cancer on parents' relationships: an integrative review.

PubMed

da Silva, Fernanda Machado; Jacob, Eufemia; Nascimento, Lucila Castanheira

2010-09-01

The diagnosis of cancer and the treatment decisions associated with it may cause uncertainty, stress, and anxiety among parents. Emotional tensions can affect parents' relationships during the trajectory of the child's cancer illness. We conducted an integrative review to examine the evidence related to the effects of childhood cancer on parents' relationships. An integrative literature search of studies published between 1997 and 2009 was conducted in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Psychology Information (PsycINFO), PubMed, Scopus, CUIDEN, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature (LILACS). The key words used were neoplasms, child, marriage, spouses, family relations, and nursing. Articles were reviewed if the (a) topic addressed parents' relationships during childhood cancer; (b) participants were mothers, fathers, or both; (c) design was either qualitative or quantitative; (d) language was English, Portuguese, or Spanish; (e) date of publication was between January 1997 and October 2009; and (f) abstract was available. Fourteen articles met the search criteria and were reviewed using Cooper's framework for integrative reviews. Four themes emerged: (a) changes in the parents' relationship during the trajectory of the child's illness; (b) difficulty in communication between couples; (c) gender differences in parental stress and coping; and (d) role changes. Findings revealed positive and negative changes in parents' relationships, communication, stress, and roles. Nurses need to assess the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatments on parent relationships, offer support and encouragement, and allow expression of feelings. Future research is needed to develop and test interventions that increase parents' potentials and strengthen relationships during the challenging trajectory of their children's cancer and treatment. The multiple sources of stress and uncertainty associated with a child's cancer diagnosis and

How Children Understand Parental Mental Illness: “You don’t get life insurance. What’s life insurance?”

PubMed Central

Mordoch, Elaine

2010-01-01

Objectives: To understand how children living with parental mental illness (PMI) understand mental illness (MI) and what they want to tell other children. Method: The study design was a secondary analysis of a grounded theory study exploring Canadian children’s perceptions of living with PMI. Interviews from 22 children, ages 6 – 16, living with a parent with depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia receiving treatment for the MI, were re-read, coded and analyzed along with data categories, their properties, field notes and memos from the original data. Results: Children revealed that they had limited understanding of MI and received few factual explanations of what was happening. Limited information on MI caused undue hardship. Younger children worried about their parent dying, while older children also were concerned about developing MI. Children offered suggestions for other children in similar circumstances. Conclusions: This study raises awareness of children living with PMI and identifies them as a population requiring services. It incorporates children’s perceptions of what they know and need to know. Children require assistance to understand and to respond to PMI. Mental health and primary health care clinicians have opportunities to assist these children within collaborative care models developed in conjunction with school services. PMID:20119563

A cognitive behavioral based group intervention for children with a chronic illness and their parents: a multicentre randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Scholten, Linde; Willemen, Agnes M; Grootenhuis, Martha A; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Schuengel, Carlo; Last, Bob F

2011-07-14

Coping with a chronic illness (CI) challenges children's psychosocial functioning and wellbeing. Cognitive-behavioral intervention programs that focus on teaching the active use of coping strategies may prevent children with CI from developing psychosocial problems. Involvement of parents in the intervention program may enhance the use of learned coping strategies in daily life, especially on the long-term. The primary aim of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral based group intervention (called 'Op Koers') 1 for children with CI and of a parallel intervention for their parents. A secondary objective is to investigate why and for whom this intervention works, in order to understand the underlying mechanisms of the intervention effect. This study is a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Participants are children (8 to 18 years of age) with a chronic illness, and their parents, recruited from seven participating hospitals in the Netherlands. Participants are randomly allocated to two intervention groups (the child intervention group and the child intervention combined with a parent program) and a wait-list control group. Primary outcomes are child psychosocial functioning, wellbeing and child disease related coping skills. Secondary outcomes are child quality of life, child general coping skills, child self-perception, parental stress, quality of parent-child interaction, and parental perceived vulnerability. Outcomes are evaluated at baseline, after 6 weeks of treatment, and at a 6 and 12-month follow-up period. The analyses will be performed on the basis of an intention-to-treat population. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a group intervention improving psychosocial functioning in children with CI and their parents. If proven effective, the intervention will be implemented in clinical practice. Strengths and limitations of the study design are discussed. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN60919570.

Group intervention for burnout in parents of chronically ill children - a small-scale study.

PubMed

Lindström, Caisa; Åman, Jan; Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Lindahl Norberg, Annika

2016-12-01

Long-term stress leading to burnout symptoms is prevalent in parents of chronically ill children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a group intervention by measuring changes in self-rated clinical burnout and performance-based self-esteem. In addition, the parental perceptions of the acceptability of the intervention were explored. Previously, we have explored the prevalence of clinical burnout in parents of patients 1-18 years with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the county of Örebro. All parents who exhibited clinical burnout symptoms in accordance with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ) were then invited to participate in a group intervention, which was evaluated in the present small-scale study. The group intervention consisted of eight sessions over a 12-week period, including education about behaviour, cognition and symptoms associated with burnout, intending to help the parents to develop adequate strategies for coping with and reducing stress. We evaluated the effect of the intervention in terms of self-rated clinical burnout and performance-based self-esteem (PBSE). In addition, the acceptability of the intervention was evaluated by analyses of recruitment and retention and self-reports from parents. Sixteen parents (13 of children with TIDM and three of children with IBD) out of 104 reporting clinical burnout participated in the intervention. All participants completed the intervention, and the mean attendance rate at all sessions was 90%. Parents' subjective evaluations were mainly positive, and SMBQ (p = 0.01) and PBSE scale (p = 0.04) measurements were significantly reduced, which effects remained 6 months after completion of the intervention. Despite the small-scale study, we consider that this intervention for parents with clinical burnout was appreciated and well accepted. The significant reduction in clinical burnout symptoms requires further evaluation in randomised

A model for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's illness.

PubMed

Gachanja, Grace; Burkholder, Gary J

2016-01-01

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an index person within an HIV-affected family, to the time of full disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status to one or more HIV-positive, negative, or untested children within these households. Participants were purposively selected and included 16 HIV-positive parents, seven HIV-positive children, six healthcare professionals (physician, clinical officer, psychologist, registered nurse, social worker, and a peer educator), and five HIV-negative children. All participants underwent an in-depth individualized semistructured interview that was digitally recorded. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in NVivo 8 using the modified Van Kaam method. Six themes emerged from the data indicating that factors such as HIV testing, living with HIV, evolution of disclosure, questions, emotions, benefits, and consequences of disclosure interact with each other and either impede or facilitate the HIV disclosure process. Kenya currently does not have guidelines for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status. HIV disclosure is a process that may result in poor outcomes in both parents and children. Therefore, understanding how these factors affect the disclosure process is key to achieving optimal disclosure outcomes in both parents and children. To this end, we propose an HIV disclosure model incorporating these six themes

Mothers' Attributions Regarding the Behavior of Chronically Ill Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Lynn S.

Parents of chronically ill children are faced with the difficult task of being vigilant and yet not overprotective of their children. The literature suggests that parents hold a positive bias toward their ill children. Attribution theory gives a framework in which to study parents' ideas about their children's behavior. A study was conducted to…

Pediatricians' affective communication behavior attenuates parents' stress response during the medical interview.

PubMed

Gemmiti, Marco; Hamed, Selei; Lauber-Biason, Anna; Wildhaber, Johannes; Pharisa, Cosette; Klumb, Petra L

2017-03-01

To investigate whether the medical interview in the pediatric context generates a stressful response in parents in form of heightened cortisol activity, and whether pediatricians' empathetic communication is able to attenuate this stress response. 68 parents were recruited at pediatric out-patient and in-patient consultations. Salivary samples were collected between 60 and 30min prior to the consultation, shortly before the consultation, 20min as well as 45min after the consultation. 19 pediatricians participated in the study and effectuated the medical visit as usual. We videotaped the consultations and coded pediatricians' affective communication using the RIAS and the Four Habits Coding Scheme. Parents' cortisol increased during the medical visit with a peak at 20min after the medical encounter. Furthermore, multilevel analysis revealed a lesser increase in parents' cortisol response associated with pediatricians' levels in supportive communication behaviors. As indicated by their humoral stress responses, the medical encounter was stressful for the parents. Pediatricians' affective communication modulated this stress response in that more supportive communication was related to smaller cortisol increases. Pediatricians' affective communication behavior during the medical visit can alleviate parents' distress and anxiety, representing a source of social and emotional support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are parental autism spectrum disorder and/or attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder symptoms related to parenting styles in families with ASD (+ADHD) affected children?

PubMed

van Steijn, Daphne J; Oerlemans, Anoek M; de Ruiter, Saskia W; van Aken, Marcel A G; Buitelaar, Jan K; Rommelse, Nanda N J

2013-11-01

An understudied and sensitive topic nowadays is that even subthreshold symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in parents may relate to their parenting styles. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of (the combined) effect of child diagnosis (ASD or ASD + ADHD affected/unaffected children) and parental ASD and/or ADHD on parenting styles. Ninety-six families were recruited with one child with a clinical ASD (+ADHD) diagnosis, and one unaffected sibling. Parental ASD and ADHD symptoms were assessed using self-report. The Parenting Styles Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) self- and spouse-report were used to measure the authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles. Fathers and mothers scored significantly higher than the norm data of the PSDQ on the permissive style regarding affected children, and lower on the authoritative and authoritarian parenting style for affected and unaffected children. Self- and spouse-report correlated modestly too strongly. Higher levels of paternal (not maternal) ADHD symptoms were suboptimally related to the three parenting styles. Further, two parent-child pathology interaction effects were found, indicating that fathers with high ADHD symptoms and mothers with high ASD symptoms reported to use a more permissive parenting style only towards their unaffected child. The results highlight the negative effects of paternal ADHD symptoms on parenting styles within families with ASD (+ADHD) affected offspring and the higher permissiveness towards unaffected offspring specifically when paternal ADHD and/or maternal ASD symptoms are high. Parenting training in these families may be beneficial for the well-being of all family members.

Helping Teachers to Help Children Living with a Mentally Ill Parent: Teachers' Perceptions on Identification and Policy Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibou-Nakou, I.

2004-01-01

The material presented here is based on a pilot European project (Daphne Project, 2000/EU funding, collaboration of Greece and England) regarding parental mental illness and children's welfare and needs (1).The presentation focuses upon the responses of a group of teachers working in primary education in relation to identification issues and…

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level I Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level II Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Childhood parental bonding affects adulthood trait anxiety through self-esteem.

PubMed

Shimura, Akiyoshi; Takaesu, Yoshikazu; Nakai, Yukiei; Murakoshi, Akiko; Ono, Yasuyuki; Matsumoto, Yasunori; Kusumi, Ichiro; Inoue, Takeshi

2017-04-01

The association between trait anxiety and parental bonding has been suggested. However, the mechanism remains uncertain and there is no study focused on general adult population. We investigated the association and the mechanism between childhood parental bonding and adulthood trait anxiety in the general adult population. A cross-sectional retrospective survey was conducted in 2014 with 853 adult volunteers from the general population. The Parental Bonding Instrument, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI-Y) were self-administered. Structural equation modelling was used for the analysis. Childhood parental bonding affected adulthood trait anxiety indirectly mediated by self-esteem. Trait anxiety was decreased by parental care and increased by parental overprotection through self-esteem. This model explained 51.1% of the variability in STAI-Y trait anxiety scores. This study suggests an important role of self-esteem as a mediator between childhood parental bonding and adulthood trait anxiety. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Examination of parent-child adjustment in juvenile rheumatic diseases using depression-specific indices of parent and youth functioning.

PubMed

Bonner, Margaret S; Ramsey, Rachelle R; Ryan, Jamie L; Fedele, David A; Mullins, Larry L; Wagner, Janelle L; Jarvis, James N; Chaney, John M

2015-03-01

Studies demonstrate a link between parental distress, youth illness appraisals, and depression symptoms in youth with juvenile rheumatic diseases. However, the exclusive use of broadband (i.e. general) measures of parental distress in these studies has resulted in conceptual and clinical imprecision regarding the parent-child adjustment process. Our aim was to reanalyze previously published data (i.e. Wagner et al., 2003) using a depression-specific scale derived from the general adult distress measure in the original study. Parents completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), youth completed the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Illness Intrusiveness Scale (IIS-C). Thirteen Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) depression-specific items from the BSI comprised the parent measure of Depressive Symptoms Scale (DS). Consistent with Wagner et al. (2003), adult DS scores were associated with youth CDI scores. However, youth illness appraisals had unique effects on the parent-child depression relation. Elevated youth perceptions of illness intrusiveness amplified the negative effect of parent depressive symptoms on youth depressive symptoms; decreased illness intrusiveness buffered the negative effect of parent depression. The empirical and clinical implications of assessing parent and youth adjustment in a domain-specific manner are discussed. © The Author(s) 2013.

Cognitive vulnerability to bipolar disorder in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Pavlickova, Hana; Turnbull, Oliver; Bentall, Richard P

2014-11-01

Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable illness, with a positive family history robustly predictive of its onset. It follows that studying biological children of parents with bipolar disorder may provide information about developmental pathways to the disorder. Moreover, such studies may serve as a useful test of theories that attribute a causal role in the development of mood disorders to psychological processes. Psychological style (including self-esteem, coping style with depression, domain-specific risk-taking, sensation-seeking, sensitivity to reward and punishment, and hypomanic personality and cognition) was assessed in 30 offspring of bipolar parents and 30 children of well parents. Parents of both child groups completed identical assessments. Although expected differences between parents with bipolar disorder and well parents were detected (such as low self-esteem, increased rumination, high sensitivity to reward and punishment), offspring of bipolar parents were, as a group, not significantly different from well offspring, apart from a modest trend towards lower adaptive coping. When divided into affected and non-affected subgroups, both groups of index children showed lower novelty-seeking. Only affected index children showed lower self-esteem, increased rumination, sensitivity to punishment, and hypomanic cognitions. Notably, these processes were associated with symptoms of depression. Psychological abnormalities in index offspring were associated with having met diagnostic criteria for psychiatric illnesses and the presence of mood symptoms, rather than preceding them. Implications of the present findings for our understanding of the development of bipolar disorder, as well as for informing early interventions, are discussed. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Affected parent sex and severity of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study
.

PubMed

Nowak, Kristen L; Chonchol, Michel; You, Zhiying; Gupta, Malika; Gitomer, Berenice

2018-03-01

Parental inheritance may differentially affect autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (-ADPKD) severity via genetic imprinting or in utero epigenetic modifications; however, evidence is inconsistent. We conducted a longitudinal retrospective cohort study to assess the association between sex of the affected parent and time to hypertension diagnosis, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and death in patients with the PKD1 genotype. 814 individuals who participated in research at the University of Colorado were studied. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. The predictor was parental sex, and outcomes were diagnosis of hypertension, progression to ESRD, and death. We also examined associations in four strata according to affected parent and participant sex, as previous studies have reported earlier onset of ESRD in males compared to females. The median follow-up for each outcome was as follows: hypertension, 30 (interquartile range (IQR): 18, 37); ESRD, 43 (IQR: 31, 52), death 39 (IQR: 25, 52) years of age. Among affected offspring in the entire cohort, there was no difference in hypertension diagnosis (p = 0.97) or progression to ESRD (p = 0.79) according to affected parent sex; however, participants with an affected mother were more likely to die than participants with an affected father (p < 0.05). In stratified analyses, males were more likely than females to develop hypertension and reach ESRD when the affected parent was the father (p < 0.01) but not when the affected parent was the mother (p ≥ 0.11). Our results are largely in contrast to the hypothesis that severity of ADPKD is worse with maternal inheritance of disease.
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Factors affecting parental satisfaction following pediatric procedural sedation.

PubMed

Lew, Vincent K; Lalwani, Kirk; Palermo, Tonya M

2010-02-01

To investigate factors affecting parental satisfaction with a pediatric sedation service in a university hospital setting. Prospective, observational study with interviews using a survey instrument. Academic university hospital. Parents (or legal guardians; hereafter "parents") of 220 children scheduled for sedation with the hospital's pediatric sedation service. Caregivers of children scheduled for sedation were interviewed using a validated survey instrument. The instrument was designed to investigate the quality of communication, environment, care provided, and the overall experience. We followed patients by telephone the day after discharge. Chi-square or linear-by-linear association tests were used to evaluate associations between satisfaction scores and demographic variables; the Mann-Whitney test was used for mean levels of satisfaction in anxious versus non-anxious children. Of 222 parents approached, 220 agreed to participate (response rate = 99.1%). Significant associations between each area of satisfaction and parents' overall satisfaction existed (P < 0.001). Previous sedations, types of sedation, age of child, or any individual provider were not significantly associated with overall satisfaction. Caregivers of anxious children reported less satisfaction than caregivers of non-anxious children. Parents of children who underwent magnetic resonance imaging reported the lowest mean satisfaction scores. Overall satisfaction was high, and care provided by anesthesiologists was significantly associated with overall satisfaction. A site in our institution was associated with significantly lower satisfaction as a result of inadequate space and privacy.

Dynamic changes in parent affect and adolescent cardiac vagal regulation: a real-time analysis.

PubMed

Cui, Lixian; Morris, Amanda Sheffield; Harrist, Amanda W; Larzelere, Robert E; Criss, Michael M

2015-04-01

The current study explored the role of parents' negative and positive affect in adolescent respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity during a parent-adolescent conflict discussion task and the moderating effects of adolescent sex and age. Questionnaire data were collected from 206 adolescents (10-18 years of age; M = 13.37 years) and their primary caregivers (83.3% biological mothers). Electrocardiogram and respiration data were collected from adolescents, and RSA variables were computed. Parent affect was coded during the conflict discussion task. Multilevel modeling was used to distinguish the between- and within-individual effects of parent affect on adolescent RSA. Results indicated that observed within-parent-teen dyad anger was negatively associated with adolescent RSA, controlling for previous-minute RSA level, particularly among adolescents 13 years and older. In addition, observed between-dyad positive affect was positively linked to RSA for both boys and girls when previous-minute RSA level was controlled. Within-dyad positive affect was positively related to girl's RSA only. These findings suggest that expressions of positive affect may be related to better vagal regulation (RSA increases), whereas expressions of anger may be related to poor vagal regulation (RSA decreases) during social engagement. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Aftermath of Childhood Suicide: Influences on the Perception of the Parent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calhoun, Lawrence G.; And Others

Many factors affect the way in which others view the parents of a child who has committed suicide. A study of adult responses to newspaper accounts of a child's death revealed the parents were viewed more negatively when the child's death was due to suicide than when the child's death was a result of illness. In addition, the presence of…

Psychopathic Personality and Negative Parent-to-Child Affect: A Longitudinal Cross-lag Twin Study.

PubMed

Tuvblad, Catherine; Bezdjian, Serena; Raine, Adrian; Baker, Laura A

2013-09-01

Previous studies that have explored the relationship between parenting style and children's antisocial behavior have generally found significant bidirectional effects, whereby parenting behaviors influence their child's antisocial outcomes, but a child's behaviors also lead to changes in parenting style. The present study investigated the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the longitudinal relationship between negative parent-to-child affect and psychopathic personality in a sample of 1,562 twins. Using a biometrical cross-lag analysis, bidirectional effects were investigated across two waves of assessment when the twins were ages 9-10 and 14-15, utilizing both caregiver and youth self-reports. Results demonstrated that negative parental affects observed at ages 9-10 influenced the child's later psychopathic personality at ages 14-15, based on both caregiver and youth self-reports. For these 'parent-driven effects', both genetic and non-shared environmental factors were important in the development of later psychopathic personality during adolescence. There were additional 'child-driven effects' such that children's psychopathic personality at ages 9-10 influenced negative parent-to-child affect at ages 14-15, but only within caregiver reports. Thus, children's genetically influenced psychopathic personality seemed to evoke parental negativity at ages 14-15, highlighting the importance of investigating bidirectional effects in parent-child relationships to understand the development of these traits.

Family caregiver burden in mental illnesses: The case of affective disorders and schizophrenia - a qualitative exploratory study.

PubMed

von Kardorff, Ernst; Soltaninejad, Ali; Kamali, Mohammad; Eslami Shahrbabaki, Mahin

2016-01-01

Caregivers of people with mental illnesses often experience a wide range of burdens. Although many studies have confirmed burdens among family caregivers of mentally ill relatives in general, specific knowledge regarding the concrete everyday hassle and existential sorrows from the caregiverś subjective reasoning perspective is lacking. Furthermore, there is little evidence on the possible different effects of affective disorders and schizophrenia on the quality of burden; this is also true with regard to the role of cultural traditions and lay beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore the specific burdens experienced by caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders. A qualitative study was conducted by semi-structured interviews with 45 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Eleven encumbering themes resulted from the interviews including incertitude, unawareness, emotional burden, stigma and blame, financial burden, physical burden, restriction in routine, disruption in routine, dissatisfaction with family, relatives, and acquaintances, troubles with patients' adherence to medication, and problems with health services and governmental support. Caring for a person with mental illness affects caregivers emotionally, financially, physically, and it elicits some restrictions in their routine (daily hassles). Finally, it causes conflicts in family relationships. Despite some differences regarding perceived burden among caregivers of schizophrenia and affective disorders, a common pattern of burden could be identified. Thus, authorities should provide adequate financial, educational, and psychosocial supports for caregivers of mental illnesses.

Parental Control and Affect as Predictors of Children's Display Rule Use and Social Competence with Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDowell, David J.; Parke, Ross D.

2005-01-01

Seventy-six fourth-grade children and their parents participated in a study of the linkages among parental control and positive affect, children's display rule use, and children's social competence with peers. Using observational measures of parental behavior and children's display rule use, it was found that parental positive affect and control…

Parental History of Diabetes, Positive Affect, and Diabetes Risk in Adults: Findings from MIDUS.

PubMed

Tsenkova, Vera K; Karlamangla, Arun S; Ryff, Carol D

2016-12-01

Family history of diabetes is one of the major risk factors for diabetes, but significant variability in this association remains unexplained, suggesting the presence of important effect modifiers. To our knowledge, no previous work has examined whether psychological factors moderate the degree to which family history of diabetes increases diabetes risk. We investigated the relationships among parental history of diabetes, affective states (positive affect, negative affect, and depressed affect), and diabetes in 978 adults from the MIDUS 2 national sample. As expected, parental history of diabetes was associated with an almost threefold increase in diabetes risk. We found a significant interaction between positive affect and parental history of diabetes on diabetes (p = .009): higher positive affect was associated with a statistically significant lower relative risk for diabetes in participants who reported having a parental history of diabetes (RR = .66 per unit increase in positive affect; 95 % CI = .47; .93), but it did not influence diabetes risk for participants who reported no parental history of diabetes (p = .34). This pattern persisted after adjusting for an extensive set of health and sociodemographic covariates and was independent of negative and depressed affect. These results suggest that psychological well-being may protect individuals at increased risk from developing diabetes. Understanding such interactions between non-modifiable risk factors and modifiable psychological resources is important for delineating biopsychosocial pathways to diabetes and informing theory-based, patient-centered interventions to prevent the development of diabetes.

Direct Observations of Parenting and Real-time Negative Affect among Adolescent Smokers and Non-Smokers

PubMed Central

Richmond, Melanie J.; Mermelstein, Robin J.; Wakschlag, Lauren S.

2012-01-01

Objective This longitudinal study examined how observations of parental general communication style and control with their adolescents predicted changes in negative affect over time for adolescent smokers and non-smokers. Method Participants were 9th and 10th grade adolescents (N = 111; 56.8% female) who had all experimented with cigarettes and were thus at risk for continued smoking and escalation; 36% of these adolescents (n = 40) had smoked in the past month at baseline and were considered smokers in the present analyses. Adolescents participated separately with mothers and fathers in observed parent-adolescent problem-solving discussions to assess parenting at baseline. Adolescent negative affect was assessed at baseline, 6- and 24-months via ecological momentary assessment. Results Among both smoking and non-smoking adolescents, escalating negative affect significantly increased risk for future smoking. Higher quality maternal and paternal communication predicted a decline in negative affect over 1.5 years for adolescent smokers but was not related to negative affect for non-smokers. Controlling maternal, but not paternal, parenting predicted escalation in negative affect for all adolescents. Conclusions Findings suggest that reducing negative affect among experimenting youth can reduce risk for smoking escalation. Therefore, family-based prevention efforts for adolescent smoking escalation might consider parental general communication style and control as intervention targets. However, adolescent smoking status and parent gender may moderate these effects. PMID:23153193

The psychophysiology of parenting: Individual differences in autonomic reactivity to positive and negative mood inductions and observed parental affect during dyadic interactions with children.

PubMed

Connell, Arin M; Dawson, Glen C; Danzo, Sarah; McKillop, Hannah N

2017-02-01

Parenting is a complex activity driven, in part, by parental emotional and physiological responses. However, work examining the physiological underpinnings of parenting behavior is still in its infancy, and very few studies have examined such processes beyond early childhood. The current study examines associations between Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) indices of parents' physiological reactivity to positive and negative mood states and observed parental affect during a series of discussion tasks with their adolescent child. Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) was measured as an index of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activation while viewing film clips designed to induce neutral, sad, and amused mood states. Parental positive affect, anger, and distress were observed during a series of parent-child discussion tasks, which included an ambiguous discussion regarding adolescent growth, a conflict discussion, and a fun-activity planning discussion. Results supported the association between aspects of parental physiological reactivity and observed affect during dyadic interactions. Further, RSA interacted with maternal depression to predict observed positive affect, anger, and distress, although differences across tasks and specific emotions were found regarding the nature of the interaction effects. Overall, results suggest that such neurobiological processes may be particularly important predictors of parental behavior, particularly in at-risk populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

When Parents with Severe Mental Illness Lose Contact with Their Children: Are Psychiatric Symptoms or Substance Use to Blame?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Danson; Macias, Rosemarie Lillianne; Gold, Paul B.; Barreira, Paul; Fisher, William

2008-01-01

This study compared parental psychiatric symptom severity, and the absence or presence of severe substance abuse, as predictors of contact with minor children for a representative sample of adults with diagnoses of serious mental illness (N = 45). Child contact and psychiatric symptom severity were measured during regularly scheduled 6-month…

Parental qualities as perceived by borderline personality disorders.

PubMed

Goldberg, R L; Mann, L S; Wise, T N; Segall, E A

1985-01-01

This study explores the contribution of parental qualities to the borderline personality disorder. The Parental Bonding Inventory is used to compare four parental qualities (caring mother, caring father, overprotective father, and overprotective mother) across three groups (borderline personality disorders, assorted psychiatric controls and normal controls). The major finding was that the borderline patients perceived their parents to be significantly less caring and more overprotective than both the psychiatric control or nonclinical control groups. This study was verified previous reports that patients diagnosed with an affective illness (in either the borderline group or psychiatric control group) reported no significant differences on the inventory. Pinpointing parental characteristics which antecede mental disorders may be an important first step in devising primary preventive interventions for adult disorders.

Managing childhood chronic illness: parent perspectives and implications for parent-provider relationships.

PubMed

Kratz, Lyn; Uding, Nancy; Trahms, Cristine M; Villareale, Nanci; Kieckhefer, Gail M

2009-12-01

When children have special health care needs, parents assume the roles of care coordinator, medical expert, and systems advocate as well as their typical parenting roles. They face many challenges in managing their child's chronic condition in the context of everyday life. Health care providers are uniquely positioned to assist parents in meeting those challenges and to promote parent competency and confidence in their child's care. The data for this analysis were collected during classes for parents of children with chronic conditions who took part in a randomized controlled study of a curriculum's effectiveness. During facilitated discussions, parents discussed challenges they faced and generated strategies they found helpful. Qualitative data analysis revealed dominant themes across subject areas. Challenges included social isolation, strained relationships and ongoing frustrations with health care and educational systems. Helpful strategies focused on being prepared, connecting with peers, becoming an advocate, developing partnerships and caring for one's self. Implications for health care providers include: understanding common challenges parents face; promoting parent-to-parent connections; and building partnerships with parents and their children with special needs.

Daily Couple Experiences and Parent Affect in Families of Children with versus without Autism

PubMed Central

Hartley, Sigan L.; DaWalt, Leann Smith; Schultz, Haley M.

2017-01-01

We examined daily couple experiences in 174 couples who had a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to 179 couples who had a child without disabilities and their same-day association with parent affect. Parents completed a 14-day daily diary in which they reported time with partner, partner support, partner closeness, and positive and negative couple interactions and level of positive and negative affect. One-way multivariate analyses of covariance and dyadic multilevel models were conducted. Parents of children with ASD reported less time with partner, lower partner closeness, and fewer positive couple interactions than the comparison group. Daily couple experiences were more strongly associated with parent affect in the ASD than comparison group. Findings have implications for programs and supports. PMID:28275928

Daily Couple Experiences and Parent Affect in Families of Children with Versus Without Autism.

PubMed

Hartley, Sigan L; DaWalt, Leann Smith; Schultz, Haley M

2017-06-01

We examined daily couple experiences in 174 couples who had a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to 179 couples who had a child without disabilities and their same-day association with parent affect. Parents completed a 14-day daily diary in which they reported time with partner, partner support, partner closeness, and positive and negative couple interactions and level of positive and negative affect. One-way multivariate analyses of covariance and dyadic multilevel models were conducted. Parents of children with ASD reported less time with partner, lower partner closeness, and fewer positive couple interactions than the comparison group. Daily couple experiences were more strongly associated with parent affect in the ASD than comparison group. Findings have implications for programs and supports.

Impact of Parental HIV/AIDS on Children’s Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Global Literature

PubMed Central

Chi, Peilian; Li, Xiaoming

2012-01-01

This review examines the global literature regarding the impact of parental HIV/AIDS on children’s psychological well-being. Fifty one articles reporting quantitative data from a total of 30 studies were retrieved and reviewed. Findings were mixed but tended to show that AIDS orphans and vulnerable children had poorer psychological well-being in comparison with children from HIV-free families or children orphaned by other causes. Limited longitudinal studies suggested a negative effect of parental HIV on children’s psychological well-being in an early stage of parental HIV-related illness and such effects persisted through the course of parental illness and after parental death. HIV-related stressful life events, stigma, and poverty were risk factors that might aggravate the negative impact of parental HIV/AIDS on children. Individual coping skills, trusting relationship with caregivers and social support were suggested to protect children against the negative effects of parental HIV/AIDS. This review underlines the vulnerability of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Culturally and developmentally appropriate evidence-based interventions are urgently needed to promote the psychological well-being of children affected by HIV/AIDS. PMID:22972606

Parental views on withdrawing life-sustaining therapies in critically ill children.

PubMed

Michelson, Kelly Nicole; Koogler, Tracy; Sullivan, Christine; Ortega, María del Pilar; Hall, Emily; Frader, Joel

2009-11-01

To broaden existing knowledge of pediatric end-of-life decision making by exploring factors described by parents of patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) as important/influential if they were to consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of semi-structured one-on-one interviews. The PICUs at 2 tertiary care hospitals. English- or Spanish-speaking parents who were older than 17 years and whose child was admitted to the PICU for more than 24 hours to up to 1 week. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Forty of 70 parents (57%) interviewed said they could imagine a situation in which they would consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies. When asked if specific factors might influence their decision making, 64% of parents said they would consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies if their child were suffering; 51% would make such a decision based on quality-of-life considerations; 43% acknowledged the influence of physician-estimated prognosis in their decision; and 7% said financial burden would affect their consideration. Qualitative analysis of their subsequent comments identified 9 factors influential to parents when considering withdrawing life-sustaining therapies: quality of life, suffering, ineffective treatments, faith, time, financial considerations, general rejection of withdrawing life-sustaining therapies, mistrust/doubt toward physicians, and reliance on self/intuition. Parents describe a broad range of views regarding possible consideration of withdrawing life-sustaining therapies for their children and what factors might influence such a decision.

Does parenting affect children's eating and weight status?

PubMed Central

Ventura, Alison K; Birch, Leann L

2008-01-01

Background Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity among children has increased dramatically. Although the etiology of childhood obesity is multifactorial, to date, most preventive interventions have focused on school-aged children in school settings and have met with limited success. In this review, we focus on another set of influences that impact the development of children's eating and weight status: parenting and feeding styles and practices. Our review has two aims: (1) to assess the extent to which current evidence supports the hypothesis that parenting, via its effects on children's eating, is causally implicated in childhood obesity; and (2) to identify a set of promising strategies that target aspects of parenting, which can be further evaluated as possible components in childhood obesity prevention. Methods A literature review was conducted between October 2006 and January 2007. Studies published before January 2007 that assessed the association between some combination of parenting, child eating and child weight variables were included. Results A total of 66 articles met the inclusion criteria. The preponderance of these studies focused on the association between parenting and child eating. Although there was substantial experimental evidence for the influence of parenting practices, such as pressure, restriction, modeling and availability, on child eating, the majority of the evidence for the association between parenting and child weight, or the mediation of this association by child eating, was cross-sectional. Conclusion To date, there is substantial causal evidence that parenting affects child eating and there is much correlational evidence that child eating and weight influence parenting. There are few studies, however, that have used appropriate meditational designs to provide causal evidence for the indirect effect of parenting on weight status via effects on child eating. A new approach is suggested for evaluating the effectiveness of intervention

Impact of chronic illness on child and family: an overview based on five surveys with implications for management.

PubMed

Satterwhite, B B

1978-01-01

For the past eight years the Rochester Child Health Group has systematically investigated chronic illness in childhood with the goal of minimizing the psychosocial sequelae of chronic illness through more optimal management. This overview examines the impact of chronic illness on 404 children and their families in five separate studies: 1) 209 children in a follow-up of all children with chronic symptoms in a previous random sampling of children; 2) 42 children with juvenile arthritis; 3) 44 nephrotic children; 4) 54 asthmatic children; 5) 55 chronically ill children living in rural areas of Western New York. Information was obtained through parental interviews, school reports, and psychological testing of the child. The percentage of parents reporting impact of the child's illness on family differed according to study population. The percentage reporting areas of impact according to severity of the illness is as follows: worry, 75--97; financial, 46--60; fatigue of parent, 31--65; change in sleep arrangements, 17--31; change in furnishings, 15--40; less social life for parents, 12--35; restrictions on travel, 13--40; parental friction, 9--20; sibling neglect, 10--20; sibling resentment, 10--25; embarrassment, 12--20; interference from relatives, 5--17. Over half the parents felt their child's future education, job chances, and social life would be affected. One third reported activity limitations. Compared to a control group of children, a significantly greater percentage of parents of the chronically ill reported teacher concern about their child's effort and behavior, and showed concern about the child having too few friends. Two of the three studies in which psychological appraisals were obtained suggested that more of the ill children than controls showed indices of maladjustment. School information from two studies showed more of the ill children than controls underachieving and being referred to a school psychologist. Work by the Rochester Child Health Group

Parental health shocks and schooling: The impact of mutual health insurance in Rwanda.

PubMed

Woode, Maame Esi

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to look at the educational spill-over effects of health insurance on schooling with a focus on the Rwandan Community Based Health Insurance Programme, the Mutual Health Insurance scheme. Using a two-person general equilibrium overlapping generations model, this paper theoretically analyses the possible effect of health insurance on the relationship between parental health shocks and child schooling. Individuals choose whether or not they want to incur a medical cost by seeking care in order to reduce the effect of health shocks on their labour market availability and productivity. The theoretical results show that, health shocks negatively affect schooling irrespective of insurance status. However, if the health shock is severe (incapacitating) or sudden in nature, there is a discernible mitigating effect of health insurance on the negative impact of parental ill health on child schooling. The results are tested empirically using secondary data from the third Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV) for Rwanda, collected in 2011. A total of 2401 children between the ages of 13 and 18 are used for the analysis. This age group is selected due to the age of compulsory education in Rwanda. Based on average treatment effect on treated we find a statistically significant difference in attendance between children with MHI affiliated parents and those with uninsured parents of about 0.044. The negative effect of a father being severely ill is significant only for uninsured household. For the case of the mother, this effect is felt by female children with uninsured parents only when the illness is sudden. The observed effects are more pronounced for older children. While the father's ill health (sever or sudden) significantly and negatively affects their working hours, health insurance plays appears to increase their working hours. The effects of health insurance extend beyond health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Parent-adolescent conflict and stress when parents are living with AIDS.

PubMed

Rotheram-Borus, M J; Robin, L; Reid, H M; Draimin, B H

1998-01-01

Parental perceptions of conflict and stress with their adolescent children are described, and their associations with demographic factors, physical health, and lifestyle are examined. Adolescent-parent conflicts, parenting stress, and parents' health, substance use, and sexual lifestyle were assessed among 151 parents living with AIDS. Parents living with AIDS reported a mean of 3.3 (SD = 1.3) areas of conflict with their adolescents and 1.5 (SD = 1.7) stressful parenting events over the previous 3 months. The parents were very ill, with many physical symptoms and diseases. Simultaneously, substance use was common (17% used daily), but not injection drug use (3.3%). Half had a sexual partner (63% protected their partners by using condoms consistently). Regression analysis revealed that parent-adolescent conflict was significantly associated with high parental drug use; stressful parenting events were significantly related to the lifestyle (high drug use and frequent sex acts) of Latino and African American parents, but not of white parents. Results of the analysis indicate that, in contrast to parents with other illnesses, parent-adolescent conflict and stressful parenting events were not influenced by parents' health status, but were significantly influenced by substance use and sexual lifestyles.

Parents' communication with siblings of children affected by an inherited genetic condition.

PubMed

Plumridge, Gillian; Metcalfe, Alison; Coad, Jane; Gill, Paramjit

2011-08-01

The objective of this study was to explore parents' communication about risk with siblings of children affected by an inherited genetic condition, and to ascertain what level of support, if any, is required from health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with affected and unaffected children and their parents. Families were affected by one of six genetic conditions representing different patterns of inheritance and variations in age of onset, life expectancy and impact on families. Interviews were analysed using constructivist grounded theory and informed by models which focused on three different aspects of family communication. Interviews with 33 families showed that siblings' information and support needs go largely unrecognized by health professionals and sometimes by parents. Some siblings were actively informed about the genetic condition by parents, others were left to find out and assimilate information by themselves. Siblings were given information about the current symptoms and management of the genetic condition but were less likely to know about its hereditary nature and their own potential risk. When siblings were fully informed about the condition and included in family discussion, they had a better understanding of their role within their family, and family relationships were reported to be more harmonious. The information and support needs of siblings can be overlooked. Parents with the responsibility for caring for a child affected by a genetic condition may require support from health professionals to understand and respond to their unaffected children's need for more information about the genetic condition and its implications for the children's own future health and reproductive decision-making.

[Supporting parents and newborns hospitalized in a NICU: interest of group setting].

PubMed

Hays, M-A; Millet, C

2009-07-01

This article exposes the work realized in a NICU, in a small group of parents and their hospitalized premature or ill newborns. The group has a containing function, regarding the effects of the traumatism that occurs when such babies are born. It allows sharing affects and emotions that are filtered and softened through singing. Actually, the parents themselves propose songs or lullabies. The group process is described regarding parents and babies: close infant observation is an essential part of the process.

Factors associated with the mental health of adolescents when a parent has cancer.

PubMed

Lindqvist, B; Schmitt, F; Santalahti, P; Romer, G; Piha, J

2007-08-01

This study explored factors associated with the mental health in adolescents (ages 11-17; n = 54) within 12 months after a parent had been diagnosed with cancer. A control group was included (ages 11-17; n = 49). A demographic questionnaire, the SF-8 Health Survey, the Youth Self Report and the McMaster Family Assessment Device were used. Similar levels of psychological distress and healthy family functioning were reported in the clinical and the control group. No effect of gender of the ill parent and that of the adolescent was found. A negative correlation was found between the physical health of the ill parent and the mental health of the adolescent. Healthy family functioning correlated with less psychological distress in adolescents with a parent with cancer. Open communication, flexible problem solving and appropriate affective involvement were significant predictors for less psychological distress in the adolescents. The study concludes that a healthy family functioning facilitated the adolescent's adjustment to parental cancer.

'Don't put the parent out': parents' perspectives of being present during an inter-hospital transfer.

PubMed

Masterson, Kate; Brenner, Maria

2016-05-01

To understand Irish parents' experiences of the inter-hospital transfer of their acutely ill child from a regional hospital to a tertiary children's hospital. Much of the literature on inter-hospital transfer focuses on the medical outcome of children who have been transferred for specialist care. While parental presence during this journey is the focus of discussion papers, little is known about the experience of parents as service users. A qualitative design using a Husserlian phenomenological approach was adopted for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten parents between March and October 2014 to explore their experiences of parental presence during the transfer of an acutely ill child. Data were analysed using the modified Van Kaam method. Two key themes emerged 'don't put the parent out' and 'being a parent'. Given a choice, all parents interviewed would have wished to stay with their child during transfer and the findings portray the specific contribution of parents during the journey. Not being permitted to travel with their acutely ill child had a negative effect on parents' perceptions of their ability to continue to parent their child during transfer to specialist paediatric services. To address this there is a need for parents to have the choice, when at all possible, to stay with their child at this time. There is a need to maximise the facilitation of parental presence in an Irish context through the introduction of guidelines to support staff involved in the transfer of an acutely ill child. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Risk of mental illness in offspring of parents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of family high-risk studies.

PubMed

Rasic, Daniel; Hajek, Tomas; Alda, Martin; Uher, Rudolf

2014-01-01

Offspring of parents with severe mental illness (SMI; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder) are at an increased risk of developing mental illness. We aimed to quantify the risk of mental disorders in offspring and determine whether increased risk extends beyond the disorder present in the parent. Meta-analyses of absolute and relative rates of mental disorders in offspring of parents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression in family high-risk studies published by December 2012. We included 33 studies with 3863 offspring of parents with SMI and 3158 control offspring. Offspring of parents with SMI had a 32% probability of developing SMI (95% CI: 24%-42%) by adulthood (age >20). This risk was more than twice that of control offspring (risk ratio [RR] 2.52; 95% CI 2.08-3.06, P < .001). High-risk offspring had a significantly increased rate of the disorder present in the parent (RR = 3.59; 95% CI: 2.57-5.02, P < .001) and of other types of SMI (RR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.48-2.49, P < .001). The risk of mood disorders was significantly increased among offspring of parents with schizophrenia (RR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.02-2.58; P = .042). The risk of schizophrenia was significantly increased in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (RR = 6.42; 95% CI: 2.20-18.78, P < .001) but not among offspring of parents with depression (RR = 1.71; 95% CI: 0.19-15.16, P = .631). Offspring of parents with SMI are at increased risk for a range of psychiatric disorders and one third of them may develop a SMI by early adulthood.

The effects of trait and state affect on diurnal cortisol slope among children affected by parental HIV/AIDS in rural China.

PubMed

Chen, Lihua; Chi, Peilian; Li, Xiaoming; Zilioli, Samuele; Zhao, Junfeng; Zhao, Guoxiang; Lin, Danhua

2017-08-01

Affect is believed to be one of the most prominent proximal psychological pathway through which more distal psychosocial factors influence physiology and ultimately health. The current study examines the relative contributions of trait affect and state affect to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, with particular focus on cortisol slope, in children affected by parental HIV/AIDS. A sample of 645 children (8-15 years old) affected by parental HIV/AIDS in rural China completed a multiple-day naturalistic salivary cortisol protocol. Trait and state affect, demographics, and psychosocial covariates were assessed via self-report. Hierarchical linear modeling was used for estimating the effects of trait affect and state affect on cortisol slope. Confidence intervals for indirect effects were estimated using the Monte Carlo method. Our results indicated that both trait and state negative affect (NA) predicted flatter (less "healthy") diurnal cortisol slopes. Subsequent analyses revealed that children's state NA mediated the effect of their trait NA on diurnal cortisol slope. The same relationships did not emerge for trait and state positive affect. These findings provide a rationale for future interventions that target NA as a modifiable antecedent of compromised health-related endocrine processes among children affected by parental HIV/AIDS.

Parental Views on Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Therapies in Critically Ill Children

PubMed Central

Michelson, Kelly Nicole; Koogler, Tracy; Sullivan, Christine; del Pilar Ortega, María; Hall, Emily; Frader, Joel

2009-01-01

Objective To broaden existing knowledge of pediatric end-of-life decision making by exploring factors described by parents of patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) as important/influential if they were to consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies. Design Quantitative and qualitative analysis of semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Setting The PICUs at 2 tertiary care hospitals. Participants English- or Spanish-speaking parents who were older than 17 years and whose child was admitted to the PICU for more than 24 hours to up to 1 week. Intervention Semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Results Forty of 70 parents (57%) interviewed said they could imagine a situation in which they would consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies. When asked if specific factors might influence their decision making, 64% of parents said they would consider withdrawing life-sustaining therapies if their child were suffering; 51% would make such a decision based on quality-of-life considerations; 43% acknowledged the influence of physician-estimated prognosis in their decision; and 7% said financial burden would affect their consideration. Qualitative analysis of their subsequent comments identified 9 factors influential to parents when considering withdrawing life-sustaining therapies: quality of life, suffering, ineffective treatments, faith, time, financial considerations, general rejection of withdrawing life-sustaining therapies, mistrust/doubt toward physicians, and reliance on self/intuition. Conclusion Parents describe a broad range of views regarding possible consideration of withdrawing life-sustaining therapies for their children and what factors might influence such a decision. PMID:19884588

Psychopathic Personality and Negative Parent-to-Child Affect: A Longitudinal Cross-lag Twin Study

PubMed Central

Tuvblad, Catherine; Bezdjian, Serena; Raine, Adrian; Baker, Laura A.

2013-01-01

Purpose Previous studies that have explored the relationship between parenting style and children’s antisocial behavior have generally found significant bidirectional effects, whereby parenting behaviors influence their child’s antisocial outcomes, but a child’s behaviors also lead to changes in parenting style. Methods The present study investigated the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the longitudinal relationship between negative parent-to-child affect and psychopathic personality in a sample of 1,562 twins. Using a biometrical cross-lag analysis, bidirectional effects were investigated across two waves of assessment when the twins were ages 9–10 and 14–15, utilizing both caregiver and youth self-reports. Results Results demonstrated that negative parental affects observed at ages 9–10 influenced the child’s later psychopathic personality at ages 14–15, based on both caregiver and youth self-reports. For these ‘parent-driven effects’, both genetic and non-shared environmental factors were important in the development of later psychopathic personality during adolescence. There were additional ‘child-driven effects’ such that children’s psychopathic personality at ages 9–10 influenced negative parent-to-child affect at ages 14–15, but only within caregiver reports. Conclusions Thus, children’s genetically influenced psychopathic personality seemed to evoke parental negativity at ages 14–15, highlighting the importance of investigating bidirectional effects in parent-child relationships to understand the development of these traits. PMID:24223446

Deep mechanisms of social affect - Plastic parental brain mechanisms for sensitivity versus contempt.

PubMed

Swain, James E; Ho, S Shaun

2017-01-01

Insensitive parental thoughts and affect, similar to contempt, may be mapped onto a network of basic emotions moderated by attitudinal representations of social-relational value. Brain mechanisms that reflect emotional valence of baby signals among parents vary according to individual differences and show plasticity over time. Furthermore, mental health problems and treatments for parents may affect these brain systems toward or away from contempt, respectively.

Parental availability for the care of sick children.

PubMed

Heymann, S J; Earle, A; Egleston, B

1996-08-01

Parents have always played a critical role in the care of sick children. Although parents' roles remain crucial to children's health, parental availability has declined during the past half century. The percentage of women with preschool children who work has risen almost fivefold in 45 years from 12% in 1947 to 58% in 1992. The percentage of women in the paid work force with school-aged children has almost tripled in the same period, from 27.3% to 75.9%. Research has examined the effects of a variety of parental work conditions on children. However, past research has not examined how working conditions affect the ability of parents to care for their sick children. In this article, we examine how often the children of working parents get sick and whether parents receive enough paid leave to care for their sick children. This analysis makes use of two national surveys, which provide complementary information regarding the care of sick children. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth is a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative probability sample of 12,686 men and women; the National Medical Expenditure Survey is a panel survey of 34,459 people. First, we estimated the family illness burden. Second, we looked in detail at the number of days of sick leave mothers had. Third, we examined whether mothers who had sick leave had it consistently during a 5-year period. Finally, we conducted a logistic regression to determine what factors were significant predictors of both lacking sick leave. More than one in three families faced a family illness burden of 2 weeks or more each year. Yet, 28% of mothers had sick leave none of the time they were employed between 1985 and 1990. Employed mothers of children with chronic conditions had less sick leave than other employed mothers. Thirty-six percent of mothers whose children had chronic conditions had sick leave none of the time they were employed. Although 20% of working parents who did not live in poverty lacked

Psychosocial adjustment of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

PubMed

Doku, Paul Narh

2010-06-01

The study was conducted to assess the psychosocial adjustment of children affected by HIV/ AIDS in the eastern part of Ghana. Four groups of children (children who lost their parents to AIDS, children who lost their parents through other causes, children living with HIV infected, alive parents and the comparison children who were from the same community but did not have HIV/AIDS-related illness or death in their families) were interviewed on depressive symptoms, prosocial behaviours, hyperactivity, conduct and peer problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Orphans in general and children living with HIV-infected parents consistently demonstrated poorer psychosocial adjustment than comparison children in the same community. The findings underscore the urgency and importance of culturally and developmentally appropriate intervention efforts targeting psychosocial problems among children affected by AIDS and call for more exploration of risk and resilience factors, both individual and contextual, affecting the wellbeing of these children.

Loving your child to death: Considerations of the care of chronically ill children and euthanasia in Emil Sher’s Mourning Dove

PubMed Central

Mukhida, Karim

2007-01-01

How do parents cope when their child is ill or dying, and when he or she is experiencing constant pain or suffering? What do parents think of the contributions that medical professionals make to the care of their chronically or terminally ill child? Is it possible for a parent to love a child so much that they wish their child to be dead? The purpose of the present paper is to explore these questions and aspects of the care of chronically or terminally ill children using Mourning Dove’s portrayal of one family’s attempt to care for their ill daughter. Mourning Dove, a play written by Canadian playwright Emil Sher, was inspired by the case of Saskatchewan wheat farmer Robert Latimer who killed his 12-year-old daughter, Tracy, who suffered with cerebral palsy and had begun to experience tremendous pain. Rather than focusing on the medical or legal aspects of the care of a chronically ill child, the play offers a glimpse into how a family copes with the care of such a child and the effect the child’s illness has on the family. The reading and examination of nonmedical literature, such as Mourning Dove, serves as a useful means for medical professionals to better understand how illness affects and is responded to by patients and their families. This understanding is a prerequisite for them to be able to provide complete care of children with chronic or terminal illnesses and their families. PMID:19043501

Concepts of illness in Icelandic children.

PubMed

Hansdottir, I; Malcarne, V L

1998-06-01

To investigate the development of illness concepts among healthy Icelandic children. Participants were 68 schoolchildren, 6-7, 10-11, and 14-15 years of age, and their parents. Cognitive developmental level and understanding of physical illness were assessed within a Piagetian framework. In addition, illness experience and illness behaviors (Child Illness Behavior Questionnaire) were assessed. Results were consistent with previous studies in that the development of illness concepts among Icelandic children was consistent with Piaget's theory of cognitive development. No relation was found between illness experience and understanding of illness. A more mature understanding of illness was related to willingness to report the onset of illness. The results suggest that findings from previous studies may be generalized to a broader population.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: as viewed by parents of affected children in India--a pilot study.

PubMed

Bhakhri, Bhanu Kiran; Jain, Vandana

2011-01-01

A spectrum of myths and misconceptions about congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is prevalent among the parents of affected children in India. The perceptions of parents may affect several aspects of these children's management, and to explore these perceptions we carried out a cross-sectional questionnaire-based descriptive study during May 2010. Twenty-eight individuals (17 males and 11 females), parents of 22 affected children aged < 5 years, completed the questionnaire. Their responses showed the prevalence among the parents of misconceptions about CAH. These misconceptions were resulting in potentially harmful practices, and in addition there was immense societal pressure on the families as a result of ignorance and myths about the disorder. There is a need for regular CAH education and interaction programs to provide an acceptable platform for the parents and patients, where their concerns can be expressed and shared and their requirements addressed appropriately by a multidisciplinary team.

Early Intermodal Integration in Offspring of Parents With Psychosis

PubMed Central

Gamma, Franziska; Goldstein, Jill M.; Seidman, Larry J.; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M.; Tsuang, Ming T.; Buka, Stephen L.

2014-01-01

Identifying early developmental indicators of risk for schizophrenia is important for prediction and possibly illness prevention. Disturbed intermodality has been proposed as one important neurodevelopmental risk for schizophrenia. Early intermodal integration (EII) is the infant’s ability to link motility and perception and to relate perception across modalities. We hypothesized that infants of parents with schizophrenia would have more EII abnormalities than infants of healthy parents and that infants of parents with affective psychosis would be intermediate in severity. The New England Family Study high-risk sample, ascertained from community populations, was utilized. Eight-month-old infants of parents with schizophrenia (n = 58), affective psychoses (n = 128), and healthy controls (n = 174) were prospectively assessed. Diagnoses of parents were determined 30 years later blind to offspring data. EII measures were grouped into 3 domains characterizing different aspects of infant development: (1) one’s own body, (2) objects, and (3) social interactions. Results demonstrated that body- and object-related EII abnormalities were significantly increased for infants of parents with schizophrenia compared with control infants and not significantly increased for infants of parents with affective psychoses. EII abnormalities in relation to social interactions were significantly increased in infants of parents with schizophrenia and affective psychoses. Thus, body- and object-related EII abnormalities were most severe in infants of parents with schizophrenia, supporting the importance of intermodality dysfunction as an early indicator of the vulnerability to schizophrenia. Future research should evaluate how this dysfunction evolves with development and its associations with other psychopathological and neurodevelopmental deficits in youth at risk for psychosis. PMID:23986303

Perceptions of patient education during hospital visit--described by school-age children with a chronic illness and their parents.

PubMed

Kelo, Marjatta; Eriksson, Elina; Eriksson, Ilse

2013-12-01

Families having a child with a chronic disease face changes in their everyday lives, and the whole family is involved in patient education. Nurses bear a great responsibility for patient education, but their school-age patients' and their parents' perceptions of patient education have only been studied to a limited extent. The current study aimed to explore the elements of significant patient education events during a hospital visit described by school-age children with a chronic illness and their parents. The design was qualitative and descriptive. A total of nineteen Finnish parents and their 12 children aged 5-12, suffering from chronic diseases, were interviewed using a critical incident technique. The data were analysed by deductive content analysis. The descriptions of patient education comprised cases with parents' shock at the outset of the patient education sessions and cases with the outcome of these sessions, including an experience of empowerment or lack of it. The patient education practices were examined by determining nursing, didactic and interpersonal competences. Nursing competence involved illustrations of knowledge and the ability to care for children and families as well as knowledge of the disease and its management. Didactic competence comprised practical examples of knowledge of teaching and the ability to implement the education process. Interpersonal competence manifested itself in the ability to have a dialogue. The findings show the importance of comprehensive patient education competence required of nurses giving education to families having children with chronic illnesses. This knowledge can be applied to promote nurses' professional training and to develop patient education. © 2012 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.