Living With a Mentally Ill Parent

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne V. Trondsen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
The Family ◽  
Considerable Body ◽  
Improve Health

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.

Families Living with Mental Illness

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Rana
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
The Family ◽  
Partner Research

Mental illness is a growing reality of our times. Usually in a typical Indian family, the parents act as the primary caregivers for the child suffering from mental disorder. For adult sufferers, it can also be siblings or offspring, and  at times even spouse or partner. Research on the experiences of families of mentally ill people has been minimal in the Indian context. This study aims to shift the focus from the mentally ill patients to the suffering of the caregivers and families of the patient keeping in mind the interconnected well being of the family in a collectivist culture. Following a qualitative approach, narratives have been taken from the family members of mentally ill (narratives of 8 families with mentally ill person) and also the mental health professionals (two) through semi structured interviews. The findings suggest that the family members suffer from a significant amount of stress accompanied by burden. Also, they feel secluded from the society and experience a lack of assistance to deal with the mentally ill member of the family.

Talking to children about parental mental illness: The experiences of well parents

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Ballal ◽  
Janardhana Navaneetham
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Mental Health Systems ◽  
The Family ◽  
Supportive Family ◽  
History Of ◽  
Source Of Information

Background: Children of parents with mental illness are not routinely included in psychoeducational and supportive family interventions provided by adult mental health systems. The family, therefore, is an important and, sometimes, the only source of information and support for them. Aim: To understand the experiences of well parents in talking to their children about parental mental illness. Method: This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of the experiences of well parents in talking to their children about parental mental illness. Ten well parents whose spouses were diagnosed with a severe mental illness participated in the study. Socio-demographic information, family details and history of the spouse’s mental illness along with their experiences of talking to children about parental mental illness, the perceived risks and benefits, challenges they faced and the role of others in the process were recorded. Qualitative data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: The themes of ‘distancing children from parental mental illness’, ‘avoiding conversations about the illness’, ‘giving and receiving emotional support’, ‘providing explanations of the illness’ and ‘regulating other sources of information’ show the complex ways in which well parents influence their children’s understanding of parental mental illness. The findings are examined in the background of what is known about this topic from the perspective of children or of the parent with illness. Possible ways to support well parents in families affected by parental mental illness are discussed. Conclusion: This study is a step forward in the understanding of how families talk to children about parental mental illness and provides the perspective of the well parent.

Care Plans for Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea E. Reupert ◽  
Kirsten T. Green ◽  
Darryl J. Maybery
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Social Supports ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Crisis Plans ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
The Family ◽  
Original Objective

The process of establishing care plans for families affected by parental mental illness is outlined in this article. Based on the feedback of families involved, the original objective of developing crisis plans was broadened to incorporate “care” components. Accordingly, family care plans included planning for possible future crises, such as a parent's hospitalization, as well as long-term goals, for example, education plans for the children. It was found that identifying both crisis and care components enhanced existing social supports within the family and involved pre-negotiating and coordinating agency supports for family members. The general principles and basic components of family care plans are outlined, and the implications for workers' roles conclude the article.

scholarly journals Promoting resilience in children and adolescents living with parental mental illness (CAPRI): children are key to identifying solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 215 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Abel ◽  
Holly Hope ◽  
Annie Faulds ◽  
Matthias Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Public Health Priority ◽  
Health Priority ◽  
Service Barriers

SummaryThe lives of Children and Adolescents with PaRental mental Illness (CAPRI) represent a public health priority. Identifying those at most risk within the risk subset is crucial to promote resilience for this group. The ability to develop child-centred interventions will underpin the success of evidence-based services and CAPRI themselves are key to unlocking current service barriers.Declaration interestNone.

“Adding salt to wounds”: Parentification among children living with parents with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of social workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 251610322199905
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Cudjoe ◽  
Debora Daisy Kwabia ◽  
Marcus Yu Lung Chiu ◽  
Alhassan Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Human Service Professionals ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Practitioner Knowledge ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Impact

Children living with a parent with mental illness experience challenges as some may take on the roles of their parents. Physical distancing restrictions introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic means that many children will spend more time at home which could heighten the impact of parental mental illness. For many of these children, engaging in activities with peers provides them a sort of normal life outside their family environment. However, face-to-face interactions with others outside the family may be limited under existing public health protocols. Moreover, services for children in families where there is parental mental illness may also be limited considering limitations placed on people’s movements to reduce the rate of COVID-19 infections. This opinion article draws on existing research and practitioner knowledge to suggest how social workers can continue supporting these children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support, in the form of online interventions, have been recommended to meet the needs of children during the pandemic period. Online support is timely because it is easily accessible and often does not require face-to-face interactions. Social workers and other human service professionals should be able to adapt existing online services to the needs of the children which they serve.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Family Social Interaction with Mental Disorders in Medan Sunggal, Medan

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Sakinah Al Muniroh Nasution ◽  
Wardiyah Daulay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
The Family

Family member with mental illness causes inferiority, shamefulness, and minimal function in the community.  In some cases, mentally ill patients withdrawn from interaction and refuse to communicate.  The objective of the research was to analyze the correlation between self-esteem and social interaction in the family with mentally ill patients in Kelurahan Medan Sunggal, Medan. This was a descriptive quantitative study with correlation method. The samples were 18 family members who suffered from a mental disorder, with purposive sampling technique. The data collection using questionnaires and data analyses is undergone with univariate analysis and frequency distribution.  The bivariate analysis applied Spearman's Rho test. The result of the research showed that 15 respondents (83.3%) had high self-esteem and 11 respondents (61.1%) had a good social interaction. There was a significant correlation between self-esteem and social interaction in a family with a mentally ill patient (P-value = 0.012) with positive direction (r = 0.576). It is concluded that a high self-esteem correlates well with the social interaction among the family members with mental illness. It is recommended for family members to maintain their self-esteem and social interaction capacity. A mentally disorder person should get social support from family, health care providers, the government, and society.

scholarly journals The family as a place of education. Between a school-centred focus on education and family needs

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 93-113
Author(s):  
Ulrike Loch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Family Needs ◽  
Even Start ◽  
Family Coping ◽  
Educational Discourse ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family ◽  
Child And Youth Welfare

The results of the PISA studies over recent years have revealed the social selectivity of the scholastic education system. Based on my empirical research on families with mentally ill parents, I show how, for the children involved, social exclusion begins before they even start school; how the parents' mental illness is seen to affect the children, and what support the families in question require. This shows how important it is to take family coping situations into account in the educational discourse on the child and youth welfare services and formal education systems.

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