Articles - Advancement of Mental Health
The following are articles from the Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (ISSN: 1446-7984) Volume: 8 | Issue: 3 Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness.
Advances in Mental Health (ISSN: 1837-4905) is a forum for advancing mental health promotion, prevention of mental illness, and early intervention approaches to mental health. It is a peer-reviewed journal available in print and online from volume 9, 2010.
In 2010, Advances in Mental Health will appear in three issues (March, July, November) in print (volume 9) + online (volumes 1-9) formats on a January-December subscription basis.
You can also access Volume: 8 | Issue: 3 Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness at http://www.atypon-link.com/EMP/toc/jamh/8/3
- Editorial On managing change, Professor Graham Martin OAM, MD, FRANZCP, DPM
- Practice, policy and research: Families where a parent has a mental illness
- Building the evidence base for families living with parental mental illness
- Children aged 0-5 with a parent who has a mental illness: The need for early intervention
- Commentary on consumer and carer participation in a national mental health promotion initiative
- The Koping Program: A decade’s commitment to enhancing service capacity for children of parents with a mental illness
- CHAMPS: A peer support program for children of parents with a mental illness
- Australian programs and workforce initiatives for children and their families where a parent has a mental illness
- Prevention of emotional problems and psychiatric risks in children of parents with a mental illness in the Netherlands: I. The scientific basis to a comprehensive approach
- Prevention of emotional problems and psychiatric risks in children of parents with a mental illness in the Netherlands: II. Interventions
- Taking a closer look: A cross-sector audit of families where a parent has a mental illness
Editorial On Managing ChangeProfessor Graham Martin OAM, MD, FRANZCP, DPM
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Editor in Chief, AeJAMH
Guest editorial: Practice, policy and research: Families where a parent has a mental illnessAndrea Reupert1 and Darryl Maybery1,2
1. Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, School of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
2. Gippsland Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illlness; children; families; interventions; evaluation
Guest editorial: Building the evidence base for families living with parental mental illnessJoanne Nicholson
Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; families; children; evaluation
Guest editorial: Children aged 0-5 with a parent who has a mental illness: The need for early interventionNick Kowalenko
Deputy Chair, Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association (AICAFMHA) Clinical Senior Lecturer, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney &
Clinical Director, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; infants; parents; early intervention; evaluation
Commentary on consumer and carer participation in a national mental health promotion initiativeChris Alliston, Cecelia Kluge and Elizabeth Fudge
Abstract
Current Australian Government policy acknowledges that consumers and carers are an integral component of improving all aspects of mental health, from individual service provision to policy development. However, although the ability of consumers and carers to influence mental health programs and services in Australia has increased over the past decade, the theory of partnership for consumer and carer participation has many challenges when put into practice. The Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) nationalinitiative has endeavoured to overcome these challenges and integrate consumer and carer participation across the initiative through a range of strategies. This paper explores and describes how consumers and carers have engaged with the initiative and overcome barriers or worked through ways to negotiate them. Examples and consumer and carer reflections are provided specifically in relation to the development of both public information and workforce development resources. The COPMI national initiative’s experience adds to the body of knowledge that is increasing as consumer and carer participation becomes more integrated across the mental health sector.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; consumers; carers; parents; children; mental
health promotion; partnerships
The Koping Program: A decade’s commitment to enhancing service capacity for children of parents with a mental illnessSophie Morson, Denisse Best, Nikki de Bondt, Mary Jessop and Thy Meddick
Abstract
Children of parents with a mental illness are known to be at heightened risk of experiencing a range of psychosocial difficulties, including the potential development of their own mental health problems. In 1999, the Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) of the Royal Children’s Hospital, Children’s Health District, Brisbane, Queensland, established a selective prevention initiative – since known as the Koping Program – to enhance service provision for this priority group. Sustained local resourcing of the program has enabled the achievement of numerous quality outcomes for young people, their families and service providers. These are reviewed according to the eight national Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) action areas: promoting wellbeing and reducing risk; support for children and families; addressing grief and loss issues; access to information, education and decision-making; care and protection of children; partnerships and cross-agency processes; workforce development and workforce reorientation; and research and evaluation. Brief commentary is provided on factors underlying success of the Koping Program, along with its limitations and future directions.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; parental mental illness; children; families; mental
health services
CHAMPS: A peer support program for children of parents with a mental illnessMelinda Goodyear, Rose Cuff, Darryl Maybery and Andrea Reupert
Abstract
Having a parent with a mental illness can create considerable risks in the mental health and wellbeing of children. While intervention programs have been used effectively to reduce children’s psychopathology, particularly those whose parents have a specific diagnosis, little is known about the effectiveness of these early interventions for the wellbeing of children of parents who have a mental illness from a broad range of parents. Here we report on an evaluation of CHAMPS (Children And Mentally ill ParentS), a pilot intervention program offered in two formats (school holiday and after school peer support programs) to children aged 8-12 whose parents have a mental illness. The wellbeing of 69 children was evaluated at the beginning of the programs and four weeks after program completion, on instruments examining self-esteem, coping skills, connections (total, within and outside the family) and relationship problems (total, within and outside the family). Post intervention, there were significant improvements in self-esteem, coping and connections within the family, and reductions in relationship problems. The impact on children’s wellbeing differed according to the intensity of the program (consecutive days or weekly program). The results are discussed in the context of providing interventions for children whose parents have a mental illness and the implications for service provision generally.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; parental mental illness; children; early
intervention; peer support; evaluation; resilience; wellbeing
Australian programs and workforce initiatives for children and their families where a parent has a mental illnessAndrea Reupert, Melinda Goodyear, Kylie Eddy, Chris Alliston, Paola Mason, Darryl Maybery and Elizabeth Fudge.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to review the child, parent and family programs and workforce initiatives in Australia that target children and families where a parent has a mental illness. Fifty two individual telephone interviews were conducted with facilitators responsible for 60 child, parent, family and workforce programs across Australia. Interviewees were asked to describe (i) the program provided, (ii) the evidence framework of the program, and (iii) evaluation strategies employed. To supplement this data, three consumers and one carer were interviewed regarding their involvement in programs. Participants were identified through websites, e-discussion lists and snowball recruiting. Audio transcripts from the interviews were qualitatively analysed, using thematic analysis, alongside inter-rater reliability and member checks. Of the 60 identified programs, there were 26 child and adolescent programs, six programs for parents with a mental illness, four family programs and 24 workforce training initiatives. Program facilitators typically drew on their clinical experiences, rather than research, when developing programs. Generally, evaluation strategies were non standardised and/or measured participant satisfaction of programs. There was no systematic way of involving and supporting consumers and carers. Recommendations are made regarding evaluation training, a participation framework for consumers and carers, funding for programs, and the establishment of a formal network for sharing resources and facilitator experiences.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; parental mental illness; programs; children;
families; consumers; carers; evaluation
Prevention of emotional problems and psychiatric risks in children of parents with a mental illness in the Netherlands: I. The scientific basis to a comprehensive approachClemens MH Hosman, Karin TM van Doesum and Floor van Santvoort
Abstract
Children of parents with a mental illness are at significant risk of developing mental disorders and other adverse outcomes at some point in their lives compared to children of healthy parents. During the last 20 years, a comprehensive preventive program for children of parents with a mental illness has been developed in the Netherlands through a longstanding national collaboration between prevention practitioners and scientists. This science- and practice based program has been implemented by all mental health centres throughout the country (see van Doesum & Hosman, 2009 in this issue). This article describes the scientific underpinnings of this multicomponent program. First, the available epidemiological evidence on risk and the impact on children are discussed, regarding whether parental problems result in similar problems in children (i.e., disorder-synchronous outcomes) or in broad-spectrum outcomes. The article further presents the developmental model of transgenerational transmission of psychopathology and discusses the major mechanisms of risk transmission and the evidence-based risk and protective factors linked to these mechanisms. It finally discusses some implications and future challenges for research, knowledge innovation and implications for program development.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; family; children; prevention; mental health; risk
and protective factors
Prevention of emotional problems and psychiatric risks in children of parents with a mental illness in the Netherlands: II. InterventionsKarin TM van Doesum, and Clemens MH Hosman
Abstract
This paper reports on the outcomes of a practice-based and science-based enterprise in the Netherlands to develop a comprehensive national prevention program focused on children of parents with a mental illness. An outline of the multicomponent program is presented which includes a wide set of interventions that address evidence-based risk factors and protective factors in multiple domains, including children in different age groups, parents and families, social networks, professionals and the community as a whole. The scientific basis of this program is described in a companion article in this issue (Hosman, van Doesum & van Santvoort, 2009). The 20 year history of this program illustrates the importance of long-term collaborative investments that are required of practitioners, policymakers and scientists to develop and implement a nationwide, comprehensive approach for addressing the prevalent transmission of psychiatric problems from parent to child. The results of recently undertaken controlled efficacy studies of various preventive interventions are presented, as well as findings from process evaluations. The discussion section evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the current program and offers recommendations for the main challenges ahead in terms of program innovation, implementation and research.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; family; children; prevention; risk and protective
factors; evidence-based practice
Taking a closer look: A cross-sector audit of families where a parent has a mental illnessSabin Fernbacher, Melinda Goodyear and John Farhall
Abstract
A growing number of studies over the past decade have identified the needs of families where a parent has a mental illness (FaPMI) and the responsibility of organisations to provide adequate services to effectively support them. This article describes the development and implementation of a cross-sector audit between mental health and family support services in a catchment area in Melbourne, Australia. The audit gathered information about the number, demographics, supports and potential needs of FaPMI clients and their dependent children (aged 0-18 years). Selected results are presented here. Across ten teams, the audit identified 223 FaPMI clients (including ten shared clients across organisations) with a total of 400 children. The audit provided insight into gaps in knowledge about FaPMI and possibilities for service development for participating agencies.
Keywords
children of parents with a mental illness; families; children; consumers; mental health
services
- Articles - Advancement of Mental Health
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