Abstract
IntroductionChildren of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) are at risk of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and diagnoses. Support and information about parents’ mental illness may contribute to improve their lives, which is the purpose of the intervention Child Talks (CT). This study aimed to investigate the participation rate of CT, characteristics of participating patients and children, and themes in sessions with children.Materials and MethodsData were collected from 424 electronic patient journals written by healthcare professionals (H) for patients admitted to a clinic for mental health and substance use disorders in the years 2010–2015. Both quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative thematic analysis were carried out.ResultsEighteen percent of assessed parents with minor children received the CT intervention and children participated in half of them. Participating children more often knew about their parent’s treatment and condition when initially assessed, and more often lived with the hospitalized parent. Three main themes were identified in sessions with children; communication about parental mental illness within the family, childrens’ struggles, and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) evaluation of the child’s situation and need for further support.DiscussionSessions with patients’ children appeared to be relatively rare, and participating children did not necessarily receive appropriate information, support, or follow-up. To ensure that HCPs provide quality support and follow-up to COPMI, the routines and the training of HCPs need to be improved.
Highlights
Children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) are at risk of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and diagnoses
A total of 424 patients were assessed as having minor children by using the Family Assessment Form, and 78 of these patients (18%) received the Child Talks (CT) intervention
These results are in line with previous research, suggesting that it is challenging to implement new routines related to COPMI in Norway [36, 37] and illustrating the need for a better implementation strategy
Summary
Children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) are at risk of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and diagnoses. Children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) have an elevated risk of developing emotional, behavioral, and cognitive difficulties that can result in poorer life outcomes regarding educational level, ability to work, socioeconomic status, and ability to establish meaningful relationships with others [4–8]. The transmission of mental illness from one generation to the is a complex process Such transmission is influenced by the interaction of factors related to the mentally ill parent, the child, the family, and the social environment [11]. The results imply that preventive interventions with a psychoeducational focus reduce the risk for psychopathology and psychiatric symptoms and increase prosocial behavior for COPMI [15–18]
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