Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Think family, think relationship: factors influencing stronger professional relationships with parents diagnosed with a mental illness. A qualitative study
- Authors:
- GRANT A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 51(3), 2021, pp.945-963.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This qualitative study explored how professionals and parents with mental illness experience their relationships with each other, what aspects of interaction promote a constructive relationship and the role of wider organisational and systemic factors. A purposive sample of 30 adult mental health and children’s services professionals, and 21 parents completed semi-structured interviews. Professionals’ transparent, non-judgemental, empathetic and positive approach and ability to form partnerships and to share power with parents were keys in building trusting relationships with them. Professionals’ capacity to use limited self-disclosure of their own personal experiences (i.e. parenting) enabled them to develop constructive relationships with parents. Equally, important was parents’ willingness to form partnerships with professionals and to accept a whole family approach to service delivery. Professionals’ limited understanding of mental illness and focus on administration hindered their relationships with parents. An understanding of what constitutes a constructive relationship between professionals and parents and how it develops may help professionals to reflect upon how they engage parents and to do it well. It may also assist organisations to develop the necessary structures and resources to create the conditions for promoting constructive engagement between professionals and parents. (Edited publisher abstract)
What does “recovery” from mental illness and addiction mean? Perspectives from child protection social workers and from parents living with mental distress
- Authors:
- SCOTT Anne Lorraine, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 87, 2018, pp.95-102.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The mental health consumer movement initiated the development of the recovery approach, in which self-determination, human rights and the living of a hopeful life superseded merely symptom management for people living with mental illnesses and addictions. To what degree has this reimagined path to recovery shaped social work practice? In this paper we analyse the perspectives of eleven social workers doing child protection work in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examine also the accounts of thirteen parents living with mental illness or addiction who have been involved in child custody investigations in Aotearoa New Zealand. We ask whether the social workers understand recovery as possible for such parents, and if so, how they see it occurring. We found that there is a substantial difference between the way the social workers and the parents conceived of such ‘recovery’. While parents' descriptions of recovery reflected those of the mental health consumer movement, social workers tended to operate with a focus on clinical intervention, symptom and risk management. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health knowledge gaps in the child protection work with parents: a narrative review of the social work literature
- Author:
- KARPETIS George
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 31(3), 2017, pp.353-368.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This is a narrative review of the latest peer-reviewed social work literature on the child protection work with parents. Aiming to identify knowledge gaps, the study researches the mental health aspects of the implicit or explicit theoretical perspectives underpinning the assessment and intervention with parents. An electronic database search extracted 38 peer-reviewed journal articles. It was found that the theoretical perspectives the publications adopted were the managerial, the critical, the humanistic, the psychodynamic and the behavioural. The study identified mental health knowledge gaps in the assessment and intervention work with parents across all theoretical perspectives and stressed the need for process and effectiveness studies on the work with parents, under explicit theoretical perspectives. The study finally highlights the need for the social work profession to increase its mental health literacy through mental health education for students and practitioners alike. (Publisher abstract)
Coping and resilience of children of a mentally ill parent
- Authors:
- POLKKI Pirjo, ERVAST Sari-Anne, HUUPPONEN Marika
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 39(1/2), 2004, pp.151-163.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper examines the needs and stress reactions of children of mentally ill parents, as well as coping and resilience. The study is based on the interviews of six 9-11 years old children and narratives of seventeen female grown up children of mentally ill parents. The younger and older children of the mentally ill parents had not been informed about their parent's illness. The illness of the parent aroused a variety of emotions in them. The children used both practical problem solving and emotional coping mechanisms. Informal social support was available to them but seldom from the public services. It is recommended that professionals in mental health and child welfare services clarify their roles when working with mentally ill parents. The best interest of the child and the parenting they need should be carefully assessed. Open care measures should be offered to families early enough to prevent serious child welfare and mental problems. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Looking again at troubled families: parents' perspectives on multiple adversities
- Authors:
- BUNTING Lisa, WEBB Mary Anne, SHANNON Rachel
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Family Social Work, 22(S3), 2017, pp.31-40.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The ‘Troubled Families’ policy and intervention agenda is based on a deficit approach that tends to ignore the role of structural disadvantage in the lives of the families it targets. In an effort to support this rhetoric, both quantitative and qualitative data have been used, and misused, to create a representation of these families, which emphasizes risk and individual blame and minimizes societal factors. This current paper presents findings from an in-depth qualitative study using a biographical narrative approach to explore parents' experiences of multiple adversities at different times over the life-course. Key themes relating to the pattern and nature of adversities experienced by participants provide a more nuanced understanding of the lives of families experiencing multiple and complex problems, highlighting how multiple interpretations are often possible within the context of professional intervention. The findings support the increasing call to move away from procedurally driven, risk averse child protection practice towards more relationally based practice, which addresses not only the needs of all family members but recognizes parents as individuals in their own right. (Publisher abstract)
Constructing parental problems: the function of mental illness discourses in a child welfare context
- Author:
- KEDDELL Emily
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 46(7), 2016, pp.2088-2103.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Understanding how social workers and parental service users construct the meanings of parental problems in the child protection context is important, as ultimately this affects decision making. Using qualitative methods, this study elicited social workers' and parental service users' perceptions of decision reasoning and analysed them from a discursive constructionist perspective. By completing secondary analysis of social worker–parental service user pairs, this article describes patterns in how the causes of family problems were constructed by social workers and parental service users. It was found that explanations of poor mental health and lack of supports for initial family problems were used to emphasise a lack of parental culpability by both parties, particularly through a narrative of separating one's ‘authentic self’ from the impacts of mental illness on parenting. This convergence of explanations helped to maintain fragile parental identities, assisted with relationship maintenance, and allowed both social workers and parents to acknowledge harm to children. However, an individualised view of problems promoted by mental illness discourses was unable to account for the impact of domestic violence and poverty on parental life experiences, and thus sometimes over-emphasised parental responsibility. (Publisher abstract)
Building resilience after a natural disaster: an evaluation of a parental psycho-educational curriculum
- Authors:
- POWELL Tara, LEYTHAM Sheryl
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 67(2), 2014, pp.285-296.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Natural disasters are stressful to individuals, families, and communities on multiple levels. In the aftermath the stress of rebuilding homes and lives can make it difficult for caregivers to adequately support their children and family. Studies have shown that parental mental health and wellbeing is a protective factor against negative psychological sequelae in children. The current study assessed (N = 106) parents who participated in the Journey of Hope workshop after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in Christchurch New Zealand in February, 2011. Paired Samples T-tests indicate statistically significant gains (p < .05) in knowledge and reductions in stress after the workshop. Parents were more able to identify: (1) social supports in their community, (2) the ability to identify signs of stress and how stress affects their body, (3) how to cope with stress, and (4) a more positive outlook for the future. (Publisher abstract)
Where do we go from here?
- Author:
- GEORGE Mike
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 4.2.99, 1999, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
After intensive help a young mother's parenting skills fail to improve. Talks to the social worker facing the dilemma and provides an expert's view of the case.
Social work law in Scotland
- Authors:
- FABB Janet, GUTHRIE Thomas G
- Publisher:
- Butterworths
- Publication year:
- 1997
- Pagination:
- 341p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
Provides a clear outline of the legal framework within which social work operates in Scotland and is aimed primarily at those with no previous knowledge of the law. Begins with a general introduction to legal terminology and procedure and goes on to discuss different areas of law, including: housing, benefits, debt recovery, and discrimination. Also takes into account the Children(Scotland)Act 1995. Concludes with a chapter on professional responsibility and accountability.
Social services law
- Author:
- WILLIAMS John
- Publisher:
- Fourmat
- Publication year:
- 1988
- Pagination:
- 338p.
- Place of publication:
- London