Effects Of Mental Illness Research Articles

The contribution of non-communicable and infectious diseases to the effect of depression on mortality: a longitudinal causal mediation analysis

Background: The increased prevalence of physical diseases among individuals with mental illness contributes to their increased risk of mortality. However, the mediating role of specific diseases in the effect of mental illness on mortality is not well understood. Method: We conducted a longitudinal causal mediation analysis using data from beneficiaries of a South African medical insurance scheme from 2011-2020. We estimated the overall effect of major depressive disorder (MDD) on mortality and evaluated reductions in this overall effect through hypothetical interventions on the risks of mediating physical diseases using an interventional effects approach. A Monte Carlo simulation-based g-computation was used for estimation. Results: Among 981,540 individuals, 143,314 (14.6%) were diagnosed with MDD. Mortality risk after 8 years was 6.5% under MDD, and 5.3% under no MDD (risk ratio 1.23, 95% CI 1.19-1.26). Overall, 43.4% of this disparity could be attributed to higher rates of physical comorbidities due to MDD. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 17,8%, followed by chronic respiratory diseases (8.6%), cancers (7.5%), diabetes and chronic kidney disease (5.8%), tuberculosis (4.3%), and HIV (2.7%). Conclusion: Within the privately insured population of South Africa, MDD is associated with increased mortality. We estimate that the increased risks of non-communicable diseases under MDD, rather than infectious diseases, are important mediators of the effect of MDD on mortality.

T140 - The Effect of Mental Illness on High-Risk Opioid Prescribing for Clients With Comorbid Pain and Alcohol Use Disorder in New York State

T140 - The Effect of Mental Illness on High-Risk Opioid Prescribing for Clients With Comorbid Pain and Alcohol Use Disorder in New York State

Potential Influencing Factors of Adolescents’ Well-Being

There were many studies that study the cause and effect of mental illness, but there is a small number of studies that study well-being. Adolescence is a sensitive period that needs focus. This paper is a literature review that aims to summarize some potential factors that influence adolescents’ well-being. This review will discuss adolescents’ well-being from the following factors: family, social media, and peers. The relationship between parents and adolescents may be the core factor among the family factors that influence adolescents’ well-being. How the Internet influences adolescents remains complex; the outcome of friend support varies, and the effect on adolescents’ well-being depends on the behaviors of friends. Mindfulness is also discussed. Gaps of research are also identified.

Mental Illness Leading to Homelessness in Adolescents and Reintegration with Families: A Case Series of Three Adolescent Girls

Individuals with poor mental health often find themselves vulnerable to a myriad of factors such as poverty, social disadvantage, lower level of education, abuse, and personal vulnerability. For these reasons, they struggle to secure stable housing, which leads to a cycle of persistent poverty. In this background, we present a series of three adolescents who succumbed to homelessness due to their mental illnesses and subsequent social situations. The three adolescent girls were rescued by child welfare committees with the help of police and brought to the hospital. The challenges faced by the treating team included a lack of caregivers, difficulty in ruling out any sexual abuse, dealing with different jurisdictions, financial limitations of parents to travel long distances, COVID restrictions across states, and mental illness of patient impairing capacity. This also delayed their rehabilitation and prolonged hospital stay. We can conclude that clinicians should focus on stopping the vicious cycle at the earliest so that the long‐term consequences of mental illness, as well as homelessness, can be avoided. The current imperative is to establish a secure setting for children while also facilitating early detection and intervention for mental health issues, with a particular focus on homeless children.

Effects of Mental Illness Amongst Adults in the United States Living With Diabetes Mellitus on Hospital Admissions.

To examine the influence of comorbid mental illness on hospitalization among adults reporting diabetes mellitus. This cross-sectional observational study used National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 2000-2018 to examine hospitalization. Mental illness was defined as no to low psychological distress (NLPD), moderate psychological distress (MPD), and serious psychological distress (SPD) as per the Kessler-6 scale. Socio-demographic factors and health status were added as covariates in binary logistic regression. This study involved 48,807 survey participants and reflected an estimated population of 17,524,418 adults with diabetes in the United States, of whom 19.9% were hospitalized in the year prior to the survey. Among those who were hospitalized, 71.5% exhibited None to Low Psychological Distress (NLPD), 17.7% reported Moderate Psychological Distress (MPD), and 10.8% reported Serious Psychological Distress (SPD). Conversely, among non-hospitalized individuals, the percentages were as follows: 83.2% had NLPD, 11.4% had MPD, and 5.3% had SPD. The odds ratio (OR) for hospitalization was found to be OR=1.31 (95% CI: 1.20, 1.43, p<0.0001) for MPD and OR=1.42 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.58, p<0.0001) for SPD, in comparison to those with no or low psychological distress. Among adults with diabetes mellitus, those with mental illness were more likely to be hospitalized than those without mental illness. Programs and policies to improve care among adults with both mental illness and diabetes may help to reduce hospitalizations.

Effects of Mental Illness on Oral Health: A Brief Review

Effects of Mental Illness on Oral Health: A Brief Review

Stigma, shame and family secrets as consequences of mental illness in previous generations: A micro-history approach.

In this article we evaluate micro-history as a method for investigating the meaning of stigma, shame and family secrets through generations. We present micro-histories of two Australian soldiers who developed mental illness years after serving in World War 1 and were committed to a psychiatric hospital where they died. Data were drawn from publicly available records and interviews with family members. The contrasting stories held by the families of each man illustrate the transmission of stigma and secrets through families. We explore possible reasons for the differences between the families related to the wider literature on stigma and mental health and show why the family stories people present should be considered social constructions rather than facts. We also address ethical issues that arose during the research, and which have relevance for researchers investigating sensitive or potentially stigmatising topics.

Approximation to general economic costs of mental illness

This paper shows characteristics of mental illness and its economic impact, as well as various cost-estimating approaches and insights in missed economic opportunities. To assess the burden of economic diseases, there are three different ways: the human capital, the economic growth and the value of statistical life approach. The first focuses on indirect and direct costs. Direct costs are frequently associated with care and recovery, indirect costs apply to the "invisible costs" correlated with revenue loss due to death, injury, treatment and a fading productivity. The global financial costs of mental illness were evaluated at US$2.5 trillion, with a significantly bigger impact of indirect costs. Moreover, the effect of mental illness on economic development can only be approximated implicitly. Thus, the lack of production is primary estimated for somatic conditions compared to their corresponding quantity of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). According to some research, the total economic productivity drop associated with mental illnesses between 2011 and 2030 is estimated to be US$16.3 trillion globally. Furthermore, the value of statistical life (VSL) method suggests that trade-offs between risks and capital should be used to assess the probability of injury or death due to psychiatric illness. This computation, like the economic increase effect, is equivalent to that of cardiovascular disease and bigger than that of chronic respiratory disease, cancer, and diabetes. However, greater activism is required to better the existing condition. This involves a shift in thinking away from stigmatizing mentally ill people and supports the activation of financial resources.

A writer's suicide: On creativity, mental health, gender and ethics.

The correlation between creativity and mental illness has been at the centre of ongoing debates for quite some time. This has its roots in the Romantic era (late 18th to mid-19th century), when melancholia and madness were considered to be the signs of creativity and genius. Because of this, writers like Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and many other prominent creative minds have been represented in popular narratives as having reached the heights of their creative careers while struggling with their mental health. This paper addresses the need for moving away from Romantic era notions of the relationship between madness, genius, and melancholia that reinforce the inseparability of the writer and the text, thereby trivialising the real causes and effects of mental illness. The paper also addresses the need for a health humanities intervention within the Indian literary public, using examples from the existing narratives on the late Malayalam writer Rajelakshmy ‒ an established woman writer in the 1960s ‒ who died by suicide in her mid-thirties. This paper will also reflect on the author's own experience of reading and working with Rajelakshmy's writings over the years.

Multidimensional impact of mental illness on tribal families in India

Background: Mental illness and burden of care on family is widely discussed in the context of the general population. However, mental health in tribal people also needs the same attention from researchers. In this study, the authors intended to find out the effect of mental illness on tribal families having a person with mental illness. Methods: A descriptive study was done to collect data at the Ispat General Hospital from 50 tribal respondents who were admitted to the Department of Psychiatry. We used open-ended questions to collect the qualitative data. Then, we did content analysis to build themes of the issues of their mental illnesses. Results: We found that the effect of mental illness is on education, marriage, financial crisis, family stress, disruption of family routine activities, physical abuse and violence in the family, social isolation, lack of caregiver's personal care and care for other children in the family, as well as damage to household accessories. Conclusion: In this study, the authors created major themes, to dissect and trisect into adverse events, which were frequent and appear the same in the general and tribal family having a patient with mental illness.

FINANCIAL IMPACT OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND HOW TO MEASURE THE CONSEQUENCES

This article shows the economic impact of mental illness, as well as various cost-estimating approaches. To assess the burden of mental diseases, there are three different ways: the human capital, the economic growth and the value of statistical life approach. The first focuses on indirect and direct costs. Moreover, the effect of mental illness on economic development can only be approximated implicitly. Thus, the lack of production is primary estimated for somatic conditions compared to their corresponding quantity of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The total economic productivity drop associated with mental illnesses between 2011 and 2030 is rated to be US$16.3 trillion globally. Furthermore, the value of statistical life (VSL) method suggests that trade-offs between risks and capital should be used to assess the probability of injury or death due to psychiatric illness. This computation is equivalent to that of cardiovascular disease and bigger than that of cancer. However, greater activism is required to better the existing condition.

Covid-19 chemoprophylaxis: Ethics of prevention based on anecdotal evidence.

The ongoing pandemic of Covid-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected more than 6 million all over the world and has caused more than 3.8 lakh fatalities till date(1) Health workers are the frontline responders and are exposed to a plethora of health hazards. Recently, an advisory by the Indian Council of Medical Research for the use of hydroxychloroquine as post-exposure prophylaxis was hailed as an outstanding initiative for the protection of healthcare workers and high risk contacts of patients. But the evidence of effectiveness available is only from in vitro studies and non-randomised control trials of insufficient sample size. Several ongoing large scale clinical trials are focused on the same research questions, the preliminary results of which are still awaited. The present study discusses the ethics of the introduction of therapeutic or preventive interventions based on limited available evidence during the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19.<br><br>.

Anxiety, trauma and well-being in health-care professionals during COVID-19 first wave in Spain: the moderating role of personal protection equipment availability

BackgroundThe effect of COVID-19 on Health-Care Professionals’ mental health has received increased attention in the last year’s literature. However, previous studies essentially evaluated psychopathological symptoms and not the presence of positive mental health. Therefore, the first objective of the present research is to evaluate health-care professionals’ mental illness (i.e., anxiety and traumatic intensity) and positive mental health (i.e., well-being) using the Complete State Model of Health. Our second objective is to study the effect of Personal Protection Equipment availability on professionals’ mental health.MethodsTwo-hundred and thirty-two health-care professionals working in Spain in the first line of COVID-19 patient care participated in the study. To measure anxiety, traumatic intensity and well-being participants completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Davidson Trauma Scale, and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationships between all scales. In order to test the two continua model of mental health, we used parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis. To analyze anxiety, traumatic intensity, and well-being differences between health-care professionals with and without Personal Protection Equipment availability we conducted different ANOVAS. To test our hypothesis regarding the moderating role of Personal Protection Equipment availability in the effect of mental illness on positive mental health, data were subjected to a hierarchical regression analysis.ResultsAs in previous studies, health-care professionals showed high levels of anxiety and traumatic intensity. They also presented low levels of well-being indicators. According to our hypothesis, results of parallel analysis and exploratory factorial analysis indicated that the measures of mental illness and positive mental health loaded on separate but correlated factors. Finally, Personal Protection Equipment availability moderated the effects of state anxiety and traumatic intensity on professionals’ well-being.ConclusionsHealth-care professionals’ mental illness and positive mental health reflect distinct continua, rather than the extreme ends of a single spectrum. Therefore, it is essential to measure both psychopathology and the presence of positive health to comprehensively evaluate professionals’ mental health. Finally, our results indicated that Personal Protection Equipment availability is essential not only for professionals’ physical health, but also for their mental health.

A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Primer for Mental Health Researchers

Mental health research is at an important crossroads as the field seeks more reliable and valid phenotypes to study. Dimensional approaches to quantifying mental illness operate outside the confines of traditional categorical diagnoses, and they are gaining traction as a way to advance research on the causes and consequences of mental illness. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a leading dimensional research paradigm that synthesizes decades of data on the major dimensions of psychological disorders. In this article, we demonstrate how to use the HiTOP model to formulate and test research questions through a series of tutorials. To boost accessibility, data and annotated code for each tutorial are included at OSF ( https://osf.io/8myzw ). After presenting the tutorials, we outline how investigators can use these ideas and tools to generate new insights in their own substantive research programs.

97 Major Psychiatric Illness and Substance Use Disorder Influence Mortality in Major Burn Injury: A Secondary Analysis of the Transfusion Requirement in Burn Care Evaluation (TRIBE) Study

Abstract Introduction Prior studies of burn patients with &amp;lt; 20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns have found that 15.4% of patients have major psychiatric illness (MPI) and 27.6% have Substance Use Disorder (SUD). In patients with small burns, SUD is associated with larger burn size and secondarily with longer length of stay while MPI is associated with longer lengths of stay while not increasing burn size. The purpose of this study was to determine whether MPI or SUD dependence affects outcomes such as mortality in patients with major burn injuries (≥20% TBSA). Methods A secondary analysis from the prospective, randomized, multicenter Transfusion Requirement in Burn Care Evaluation (TRIBE) study was conducted. Patients with MPI and SUD were compared with patients without these disorders. Statistical analysis with chi-square for categorical variables and student’s t-test for continuous variables was conducted. Mortality between those with and without MPI and SUD were analyzed with a multivariable regression analysis. Results A total of 347 patients with a mean age of 43±17 years, 274 men and 73 women, were analyzed. The mean total body surface area burn (TBSA) was 38±18%, and 23% had inhalation injury. In this study population, 29.1% had SUD, 7.5% had MPI, and 2.3% had both. There was no difference with respect to age, gender, TBSA, frailty, or assignment to the liberal or restrictive transfusion strategy based on the presence of MPI, SUD, or both. Inhalation injury was more common in patients with MPI (27%) or SUD (35%) when compared with patients without these comorbidities (18%) or those who have both (11%) (p=0.006). Patients with MPI were more likely to die of their burn injuries (27%) when compared with those with SUD (17%), both (11%), or neither (8%) (p=0.014). On multivariate analysis for mortality controlling for TBSA and inhalation injury, MPI was found to be an independent predictor of death with an odds ratio of 5 (95% confidence interval 1.7–15, p=0.003). Conclusions In burns &amp;gt;20% TBSA, both MPI and SUD influence patient’s likelihood of sustaining inhalation injury. MPI is also independently associated with mortality in the study. Further work must be done to mitigate the effects of mental illness on burn outcomes.

Older Adults with Mental Illness or Dementia Struggle with the Skilled Nursing Facility-to-Home Transition

<h3>Introduction</h3> In 2018, 1.6 million fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries used skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) at least once. Older adult SNF patients with mental illness (MI) and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) comprise groups that are at risk of nursing home long-term care. We examined how the presence of MI and ADRD were associated with discharge from SNF admissions to the community and home time (the number of days alive that were not in a hospital, inpatient rehabilitation facility, or SNF). We hypothesized that older adults with MI and ADRD were less likely to have been discharged to the community and had less home time. We anticipated that these associations would be attenuated, however, after accounting for the behavioral and psychological manifestations of MI and ADRD such as daily functioning, depressive symptoms, and aggressive behaviors. <h3>Methods</h3> Our study examined 46,342 New York State FFS Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with an index SNF admission in 2014 following a hospitalization of three or more days. Our first outcome was whether an SNF patient was discharged to the community within 100 days of SNF admission (binary: yes/no). Included in the "no" category were older adults who were discharged from the SNF to a hospital or a different SNF, remained in the SNF longer than 100 days, or died. For those discharged to the community, our second outcome was home time (continuous) in the 90 days following SNF discharge. The key independent variable was the presence of a MI or ADRD diagnosis, which we organized into three groupings: 1) MI present and ADRD absent, 2) ADRD present (with and without MI), and 3) both MI and ADRD absent (serving as reference group). We extracted data from the Minimum Data Set, Medicare claims, and other administrative databases. We conducted logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to analyze the associations between MI/ADRD grouping with our outcomes. <h3>Results</h3> Among SNF post-acute care admissions, 23.0% had MI only, 22.7% had ADRD, and 58.9% were discharged to the community. In analyses adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, MI and ADRD were associated with decreased odds of community discharge (MI: odds ratio, OR=0.90, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.86-0.95; ADRD: OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.49-0.54). When the manifestations of MI and ADRD were added to the regression models, however, MI was no longer associated with community discharge and ADRD's association was attenuated (MI: OR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.92-1.02; ADRD: OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.67-0.75). Among those discharged to the community, after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, MI and ADRD were associated with 1.26 and 1.41 fewer days in the community (MI: -1.26 days, 95% CI: -1.95, -0.57; ADRD: -1.41 days, 95% CI: -2.21, -0.60). When the manifestations of MI and ADRD were added to the regression models, MI's association with home time persisted, but ADRD was no longer associated (MI: -0.73 days, 95% CI: -1.41, -0.05; ADRD: 0.45 days, 95% CI: -0.27, 1.17). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Among NYS FFS Medicare beneficiaries who received post-acute care SNF services, older adults with MI and ADRD had worse SNF discharge outcomes. These worse outcomes appear to have been at least partially driven by impaired daily functioning, depressive symptoms, and aggressive behaviors that can be consequences of MI or ADRD. Accordingly, psychogeriatric care to optimally manage the symptoms and behaviors associated with MI and ADRD may be necessary to improve community discharge and home time. <h3>Funding</h3> Dr. Simning was supported by the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program, sponsored by the New York State Department of Health, as well as the National Institute on Aging (grant number K23AG058757). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

A Qualitative Assessment of an Innovative Suicide Prevention and Treatment Approach: Contextual-Conceptual Therapy

Mental health and mental illness is a critical to a person’s overall health. In the United States alone, mental illness effects one in six adults. Furthermore, 40% of those individuals who die of suicide have been diagnosed with a mental health condition or illness. Yet, there is a paucity of research on innovative methods that help prevent suicide. The Contextual-Conceptual Therapy (CCT) approach introduces an innovative way to treat suicide by working to uncover the strengths of the suicidal person and addressing a person’s true self. The CCT approach was developed over the course of 25 years working with more than 16,000 suicidal patients in Seattle, Washington, and is tailored specifically for primary and secondary prevention of suicide. While there has been anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of the CCT program, the program has yet to be formally evaluated. This qualitative research study aims to understand the impact the CCT approach has had on its clients. Eleven former CCT clients were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Outcomes described by participants included an increase in curiosity and self-efficacy as a means through which to decrease suicide ideation and behavior, and proved to be incredibly powerful in changing long-term outcomes. This qualitative study is a first-step in providing critical insight on suicide prevention for wider dissemination. At a time when adverse mental health and illness is impacting the lives of millions of people, the CCT approach has the potential to address suicide, mental illness and mental health across diverse populations.

32 Major Psychiatric Illness and Drug Dependence Both Influence Burn Outcomes, but Not in the Same Way

Abstract Introduction Studies of trauma patients indicated that as many as 17% of patients have major mental illness. The prevalence of mental illness in burns is not well known, but is thought to be similar to that seen in trauma. In this study we aim to examine the effect of mental health on outcomes following burns less than 20% total body surface area (%TBSA). We hypothesize that mental illness is associated with longer length of stay (LOS), length of stay per % TBSA (LOS/TBSA), and number of readmissions. Methods Following IRB approval, a 2-year (2016–2018) retrospective chart review was conducted of burn patients with burns less than 20% admitted to the burn center. Data collected include: age, sex, % TBSA, LOS, LOS/TBSA, discharge disposition, mortality, presence of mental health diagnoses (Drug Dependence, and Major Psychiatric Illness). Statistical analysis with chi-square for categorical variables and student’s t-test for continuous variables was conducted. Values expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results A total of 961 patients with a mean age of 46.2±17.4 years, 717 men and 244 women, were analyzed. Mean total body surface area burn (TBSA) was 6.72±5.5%, and 6.14% had inhalation injury. In this study population 27.6% had drug dependence, and 15.4% had major psychiatric illness. The mean length of stay was 11.4±16.7 days, and 12 patients (1.25%) died. In examining the effects of major psychiatric illness, there was no difference in age (46.4 vs. 46.2 years, p=0.87), no difference in %TBSA (6.30% vs. 6.77%, p=0.328). Length of stay (LOS) (15.2 vs. 10.7 days, p=0.0009) and LOS/TBSA (4.03 vs. 2.90 days, p = 0.03) were increased in patients with major psychiatric illness. There was no difference in the rate of readmissions (8.11% vs. 6.56%, p=0.49). In examining the effects of drug dependence, patients were younger (40.4 vs. 48.4 years, p&amp;lt; 0.0001), suffered a larger %TBSA (7.70% vs. 6.31%, p=0.0008), and had a longer length of stay (13.7 vs. 10.5 days, p=0.04). There were no differences in LOS/TBSA (2.94 vs. 3.12 days, p = 0.66), and rate of readmissions (6.04% vs. 7.09%, p=0.56). Conclusions In burns &amp;lt; 20% TBSA, both major psychiatric illness and drug dependence influence patient’s outcomes. Major psychiatric illness does not affect burn size but does increase length of stay. Drug dependence leads to larger burn size which secondarily increases length of stay. Based on these increases in length of stay, it is likely that hospital costs are also higher for these patients. Further work must be done to mitigate the effects of mental illness on burn outcomes, even in small burns. Applicability of Research to Practice Many burn patients have mental health problems. These can influence their recovery from burn injury. We should work to minimize the effects of their mental illness on their outcomes.

Explanatory models of mental illness among family caregivers of persons in psychiatric rehabilitation services: A pilot study.

Understanding the explanatory models of family caregivers is particularly important in interdependent contexts like India, where they often play a significant role in the help-seeking behaviours, treatment decision-making and long-term care of those diagnosed with mental illness. This study was planned to explore the diversity of explanatory models among family caregivers at a centre for recovery-oriented rehabilitation services in South India. The sample for this study included 60 family caregivers of patients referred to Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services within a tertiary-care hospital for mental health and neurosciences. Bart's Explanatory Model Inventory, including a semi-structured interview and a checklist, assessed the family caregivers' explanatory model of distress on five domains: identity, cause, timeline, consequences and control/cure/treatment. The results indicated the coexistence of multiple causal explanatory models including psychosocial, supernatural, situational and behavioural contributors. While 36.7% of the caregivers displayed two explanatory models, 33.3% of the caregivers held three explanatory models and 16.6% of the caregivers endorsed four explanatory models. Caregivers shared their concerns about varied consequences of mental illness but less than half of them were aware of the name of the psychiatric disorder. While they accessed various forms of treatments and adjunctive supports such as prayer, medication was the most frequently used treatment method. The findings have implications for collaborative goal setting in recovery-oriented services for persons with mental illness and their families.

A Narrative Inquiry Into Global Systems Change to Support Families When a Parent Has a Mental Illness.

The issues that confront families when a parent experiences mental illness are complex. This often means that multiple service systems must be engaged to meet families’ needs, including those related to intergenerational experiences of mental health and illness. A multisystem approach to public mental health care is widely recommended as a form of preventative intervention to address the effects of mental illness and its social, psychological, and economic impact upon parents, children, and families. Globally, a multisystemic approach to care requires a change in the way systems are currently organized to support families, as well as the way systems are interacting with families, and with each other. This qualitative secondary analysis emerged from a primary study examining global systems change efforts to support families, including components of change that were common and considered successful in different countries. A narrative inquiry method was used to re-analyze the data by compiling the stories of change described by individuals from participant countries. The data were interrogated to ask questions about story content, and to identify who was telling the story and how they described important changes across different geographical and cultural contexts. The individual stories of 89 systems change experts from 16 countries were then compiled into a shared global narrative to demonstrate international progress that has occurred over time, toward multisystemic change to support families where parents experience mental illness. While the global narrative demonstrates considerable overlap between pathways toward change, it is also important to document individual stories, as change pertains differently in different contexts. The individual stories and the global narrative illustrate how countries begin a journey toward change at different time points and may have various outcomes in mind when they commence. Study findings raise questions about the extent to which systems change can be standardized across countries that have unique social, cultural, political, and economic features. This study provides several potential points of reference for countries considering, or currently undertaking systems change to support families where a parent has a mental illness. It also provides an important story about international efforts undertaken to improve outcomes for families.