Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Parentification and mental health symptoms: mediator effects of perceived unfairness and differentiation of self
- Authors:
- JANKOWSKI Peter J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Family Therapy, 35(1), 2013, pp.43-65.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Noting that parentification (which occurs when one or both parents position a child to function in an adult role in the family system) can result in positive and negative outcomes for individuals, this study investigated the association between parentification and mental health. It was designed to test a theoretical model of the relationship between parentification tasks and mental health symptoms. The research involved a sample of 783 college students from a large state university in the southern US. It used a range of self-report measures to assess dimensions of dysfunctional parentification, differentiation of self and mental health symptoms. The article describes the study methodology and its findings. It reports that the results supported the proposed model in which the relationship between parentification and mental health symptoms was mediated by perceived unfairness and differentiation of self, and considers the clinical implications of the findings.
Discrepancies in parental and self-appraisals of prosocial characteristics predict emotional problems in adolescents
- Authors:
- TAYLOR Peter J., WOOD Alex M.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52(3), 2013, p.269–284.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives:Parental appraisals of an adolescent may have an effect upon the adolescent's well-being and likelihood of emotional problems. However, the impact of these parental appraisals is likely to be partly determined by the young person's self-appraisal. It was predicted that a discrepancy in self- and parent appraisals of positive, prosocial qualities would be associated with an increased risk of emotional problems. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional design within a large sample of adolescent and caregiver dyads (N = 3,976, aged 11–17 years), drawn from the ‘Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004’ survey. Method: Two separate measures of prosociality were used to ensure that effects were not specific to one measure. The analysis explored the discrepancy in parent and self-ratings on these measures via interactions within a logistic regression framework. Potential confounds, including gender, parental mental health, conduct and hyperkinetic problems were controlled for in the analysis. Results: The logistic regression analyses demonstrated significant interactions between self- and parent ratings of prosocial qualities in predicting the odds of emotional disorder (i.e., depression and anxiety). This effect occurred across both measures of prosocial qualities whilst controlling for confounds. The pattern of the interactions suggested that low parental appraisals had a more detrimental effect on well-being when self-appraisals were highly positive. Conclusions: The results suggest that moderately high self-appraised positive traits may carry a cost of leaving young people more vulnerable to discrepant, negative parental appraisals. This has important implications for the meaning attributed to self-appraised positive traits in clinical contexts. Practitioner points: Clinicians should be aware that the association between parental perceptions of a child's prosociality and emotional disorder may be influenced by the adolescents' self-perceptions. Clinicians should therefore endeavour to assess both parental and adolescent appraisals.Discrepancies may be clinically meaningful, in terms of the risk of emotional problems, rather than simply being a nuisance.This study is cross-sectional, so although discrepancies may be linked to risk of emotional problems, the direction of this effect requires elucidation.The current study only focusses on the parent–adolescent dynamic and so may not extend to discrepancy effects in other areas of positive functioning or in other relational contexts. (Publisher abstract)
Having a mentally ill sibling: implications for attachment with parental figures
- Authors:
- SAUNDERS Avihay, SZYMANSKI Kate
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 11(6), 2013, pp.516-529.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study examines whether siblings to people diagnosed with a mental illness perceive the diagnosis to negatively impact the quality of their relationships with their parents. A total of 33 participants, 18 years or older, with a sibling diagnosed with a mental disorder completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA). Analysis of perceived quality of attachment scores after the diagnosis of their siblings showed statistically significant lower attachment scores with maternal figures compared with scores before the diagnosis. There was no statistically significant change in perceived quality of attachment scores with paternal figures. Possible explanations of these findings are explored including the role mothers play in caring for their mentally ill children and its impact on the well siblings. Implication for future research and therapy are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)
Surplus suffering: the search for help when a child has mental-health issues
- Author:
- CLARKE Juanne N.
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Family Social Work, 18(2), 2013, pp.217-225.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Social theorists have demonstrated the growth in dominance of two central discourses for understanding the ways that children's mental-health issues are understood today –medicalisation and intensive mothering. In this context, this paper reports on a qualitative interview-based study of 16 mothers whose children had received a diagnosis with one or more mental-health or developmental issues such as Tourette's, bipolar, anxiety, depression, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is based on the retrospective accounts of mothers given during interviews, from the time when they noticed what they thought to be unusual behaviours and decided to try to normalise and accommodate to their children's behaviours and then to the various steps they took to seek help. The paper begins with a description of the sorts of problems that mothers noticed. It then moves to the strategies mothers then took to cope, manage and socialise their children. When these failed, mothers sought professional assistance with understanding, remediation and/or a diagnosis for the child(ren). Mothers described uncertainty, confusion and contradictions as they unremittingly sought help. This process may be called surplus suffering. The relevance of the theoretical issues is then reconsidered along with the substantive and practical consequences of the findings. (Publisher abstract)
Mentally ill parents in psychiatric outpatient care: results of the study ‘HELP-S for Children’
- Authors:
- BOENISCH-ALERT S., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 15(2), 2013, pp.254-262.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Knowledge about mentally ill parents, particularly in psychiatric outpatient care is scarce. The study presented here aims to investigate the characteristics of mentally ill parents with minor children in psychiatric outpatient care. All outpatients with minor children, who came to a psychiatrist's practice in Saxony, Germany, at an appointed date filled out a questionnaire (including diagnosis, sociodemographic data, perceived needs and usage of health care system). Data were analysed using SPSS 18.0. The study sample (n = 128) was characterized by a high percentage of women (75%), and high rates of depression (53.1%), anxiety disorder (19.5%) and addiction (10.9%). The main difference between mothers and fathers was the significantly higher rate of custody in mothers. Of the sample, 21.2% of the children of the mentally ill parents (n = 41) had already received treatment because of psychological or behavioural problems. Mentally ill mothers are more likely to retain a caretaking role in their children's lives. Mentally ill fathers are more likely to have an inpatient stay after the birth of the first child. Treatment rates of 21.2% of children of mentally ill parents concerning psychological or behavioural difficulties are alarmingly high. Therefore, psychiatric outpatient care as the biggest part of psychiatric standard care in Germany should get more attention in research and care for mentally ill parents and their children. (Publisher abstract)
The effect of post-natal mental distress amongst Indian and Pakistani mothers living in England on children's behavioural outcomes
- Authors:
- PRADY S. L., KIERNAN K. E.
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 39(5), 2013, pp.710-721.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Low socio-economic status (SES), post-natal mental distress and parenting impact child mental health and future well-being. There are unexplained differences in child mental health between South Asian ethnic minority groups living in the UK that may be due to variation in, and differential mediation of, these factors. Methods: The reserachers used multivariate multiple regression analysis of the effect of symptoms of mental distress, socio-demographic variables and warmth of parenting on child internalising and externalising scores at age seven (measured in 2010) in a population cohort of English children whose mothers were of Indian (n = 211) and Pakistani (n = 260) origin. Results: In the fully adjusted models the legacy of mental distress was visible for both internalising (β coefficient 1.52, P = 0.04) and externalizing (1.68, P = 0.01) behaviour in the Pakistani children, and on the Indian children's internalising (2.08, P = 0.008) but not externalising (0.84, P = 0.204) behaviour. Lower SES was associated with worse behavioural scores for the Pakistani children, and warmth of parenting on Indian children's externalising scores. Conclusions: Symptoms of post-natal mental distress are associated with Indian and Pakistani child outcomes at age seven. The finding that warmth of parenting had a stronger association on Indian children's externalising scores than mental distress might be explained by differences in the expression of SES on family characteristics and functioning between the two ethnic groups. (Publisher abstract)