The Family Model: Managing the impact of parental mental health on children

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The parent with insight is often relieved and grateful to know that a safety net can be put in place in the event that they become very unwell. Family psychoeducational interventions and appropriate family communication about parental mental illness can reduce psychological symptoms and improve family functioning. GPs can draw on their inherent skills as an educator, counsellor and carer to support all family members to communicate about parental mental illness.

When more focused or specialist intervention may be required, GPs can also refer a patient and his or her family to specialist mental health services and educational supports such as Children of Parents with a Mental Illness http: With practice, and some knowledge of child development, GPs can facilitate discussions about parental illness with children.

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GPs can encourage parents to talk with their child about parental mental illness and highlight opportunities for communication and reflection that are present in everyday activities, such as storytelling and play. Some examples GPs can share with parents include:.

Does the child love to talk things over? Does the child prefer sitting quietly and drawing?

Recognizing and responding to parental mental health needs: What can we do now?

Ask the child to draw a picture of his or her most and least favourite things and reflect on these pictures with their parent. The older child may prefer to write a story about another child in a similar situation or start a diary. Is the child a little superhero who loves saving the day? Talk about how even superheroes get sick and time helps them recover. For an older active child, drawing on sporting figures the child identifies with can be invaluable. The general-practice setting provides opportunities to identify and support families when a parent has a mental illness.

GPs can support these families by promoting treatment for the parent, providing information on parental mental illness to family members, and encouraging family communication about parental mental illness. Small positive steps, derived from and planned by the family, can be initiated under the guidance of the GP, who can closely monitor and encourage their progress. Gradually, larger and more far-reaching goals can be planned, and the GP can facilitate access to specialist services, preventive interventions and social supports. Key messages for general practitioners assisting parents with a mental illness and their familes.

The general-practice setting is well placed to identify and provide support for children and families when a parent has a mental illness. Talk with children about parental mental health problems, in language appropriate for the age and emotional stage of development of the child, and encourage parents to promote opportunities for children to feel safe asking questions about the illness.

Older children find it valuable to attend peer-support programs or visit websites for families affected by mental illness. A list of local programs and services, and a range of downloadable resources for general practice, are available from the Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website: We thank Michael Farrall for his writing and editorial contribution and Andrew Tobin for his editorial assistance.

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Recognizing and responding to parental mental health needs: What can we do now?

Use the Advanced search for more specific terms. Volume Issue 3 Suppl. Supporting families of parents with mental illness in general practice. Med J Aust ; 3 Suppl: Summary 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. This is a republished version of an article previously published in MJA Open C hildren of parents with mental illness have an elevated risk of psychological problems.

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Case study 1 Rob is a year-old man. Children identified ways to help the parent and wanted to inform other children: Sometimes you have to take care of your parent. If they drink coffee, get them a coffee. Children need to know that while medication may help their parent, medication should not be used by everyone: Children wanted other children to know what had helped them and hoped this would help other children.

Children recognized that their parent was more than the MI. Most children valued the significant contribution parents made to their lives: She recognized mental illness made her mother different from other mothers. They understood PMI based on observations, sporadic information from families and occasionally teachers or counsellors, in addition to pamphlets, media, and happenstance.

Based on their experiences, children wanted to inform other children of helpful ideas to manage their circumstances. Doing so helped them feel less isolated. Children were sensitive to the stigma around MI which impeded their understanding. Children, however, state they know something is wrong and shielding them causes more concern. Health care providers need to understand that children have questions which require answers from a trusted and empathic adult. Research on when and what to tell children is needed to ensure that all children receive timely and developmentally appropriate information.

This study demonstrated children experienced undue hardship when imagining parental health outcomes based on incomplete information. The role of schools in providing support for children of PMI and education on MI is crucial in service provision Foster et al. Fox, Buchanan-Barrow and Barret identified that children generally adopt societal attitudes towards MI and therefore it is not surprising that children of PMI might be subject to ridicule.

Schools need to assist children who may be teased and ensure that additional burden is not placed on these children. Roose and John found children to be articulate, aware and capable of providing important perspectives on mental health. Additional services include one to one befriending, homework clubs and support to families Aldridge, All children have the right to get and share information that is not damaging to them or others; to voice and have their opinions heard on what should happen when adults are making decisions affecting them www.

Children have a right to voice their perceptions on living with PMI and health care providers have the responsibility to listen, to assist and protect children. While all parents of the children in the study had recent contact with the mental health system, few children recalled any interaction with a health care professional. Little formal intervention assists children in their understanding of MI. Children require services that minimize the ill effects of PMI, maximize family strengths and maintain the safety of children. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U.

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Supporting families of parents with mental illness in general practice

Received Sep 22; Accepted Dec This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Children in the research process In this paper, the term children is used to describe all participants under the age of majority.

Method This paper is a secondary analysis of a qualitative grounded theory study on how children perceived and managed living with PMI. Sample The sample consisted of 22 English speaking children aged 6 — 12 years who lived full or part time with a parent with a MI. Data Analysis Interviews and data categories from the original study that were linked to the focus of the secondary analysis were re-read along with the original memos and field notes.

Rigour of the analysis An audit trail documented decisions related to coding. Fitting the Pieces Together The secondary analysis generated the core variable, Fitting the Pieces Together with properties of: Open in a separate window. Having Part of the Story: Kaleidoscopic parental behaviour A kaleidoscope is a tube containing loose bits of colored material and two mirrors at one end that shows many different patterns as it turns Merriam-Webster, Finding out - How do children obtain information?

What other kids need to know Children described what they wanted to tell other children. Parents with serious and persistent mental illness: Issues in assessment and services. The experiences of children living with and caring for parents with mental illness. Anthony EJ, Cohler B. The Guildford Press; Talking to children and youth. Finding answers, making changes. Research and community project approaches. Children of Parents with a Mental Illness.

Davies J, Wright J. Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

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