Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A Survey of Programs for Parents with Mental Illness and their Families: Identifying Common Elements to Build the Evidence Base

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Little is known about the effectiveness of interventions for families living with parental mental illness. Existing interventions offer information about successfully implemented treatments, which may demonstrate effectiveness in research. In the current study, directors of programs for parents with mental illness and their families were interviewed. Qualitative analyses revealed noteworthy similarities with respect to target population; funding; community context; agency context; mission, theoretical orientation, and assumptions; locus of care and essential services; desired outcomes; and moderators. Program similarities were identified to provide parameters for research, and to contribute to the development of testable hypotheses. Family-centered, strengths-based approaches were identified across program directors as critical to intervention success.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. As seen in Table 1, program capacity is “Unknown” for three programs. The item assessing program capacity was not included on the earliest interviews, and so is missing for these programs.

References

  1. Nicholson J, Biebel K, Katz-Leavy J, et al. Prevalence of parenthood among adults with severe mental illness. In: Manderscheid RW, Henderson MJ, eds. Mental health, United States, 2002. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services; 2004.

  2. Nicholson J, Sweeney EM, Geller JL. Mothers with mental illness: I. The competing demands of parenting and living with mental illness. Psychiatric Services. 1998;49:635–642.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Goodman SH, Brumley HE: Schizophrenic and depressed mothers: relational deficits in parenting. Developmental Psychology. 1990;26:31–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Goodman SH, Gotlib IH. Risk for psychopathology in the children of depressed mothers: a developmental model for understanding mechanisms of transmission. Psychological Review. 1999;106:458–490.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Oyserman D, Mowbray CT, Meares PA, et al. Parenting among mothers with a serious mental illness. American Journal of Orthopsychiatric. 2000;70:296–315.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Cox AD, Puckering C, Pound A, et al. The impact of maternal depression in young children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1987;28:917–928.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hammen C, Burge D, Stansbury K. Relationship of mother and child variables to child outcomes in a high-risk sample: a causal modeling analysis. Developmental Psychology. 1990;26:24–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Keitner GI, Miller IW. Family functioning and major depression: an overview. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1990;147:1128–1137.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Barocas R, Seifer R, Sameroff AJ. Defining environmental risk: multiple dimensions of psychological vulnerability. American Journal of Community Psychology. 1985;13:433–447.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sameroff AJ, Seifer R. Familial risk and child competence. Child Development. 1983;54:1254–1268.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Weintraub S, Neal JM. Social behavior of children at risk for schizophrenia. In: Watt N, Anthony EJ, Wynne LC, Rolf JE, eds. Children at Risk for Schizophrenia: A Longitudinal Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1984:243–263.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Fowler DB, Brandon RE. A psychiatric mother and baby unit. Lancet. 1965;I:160–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bardon D, Glaser YIM, Prothero D, et al. Mothers and baby unit: psychiatric survey of 115 cases. British Medical Journal. 1968;2:755–758.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Margison F, Brockington IF. Psychiatric mother and baby units. In: Brockington IF, Kumar R, eds. Motherhood and Mental Illness. London: Academic Press; 1982:223–238.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Stewart DE. Psychiatric admission of mentally ill mothers with their infants. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 1989;34:34–38.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Barker AA, Morrison M, Game JA, et al. Admitting schizophrenic mothers with their babies. Lance. 1961;ii:237–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Cohler BJ, Stott FM, Musick J. Distressed parents and their young children: interventions for families at risk. In: Goepfert M, Webster J, eds. Parental Psychiatric Disorder: Distressed Parents and their Families. Liverpool, England: Liverpool Psychotherapy & Consultation Service; 1996:107–134.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gold Award. Comprehensive prenatal and postpartum psychiatric care for women with severe mental illness—University of Illinois at Chicago Women’s Program, Chicago. Psychiatric Services. 1996;47:1108–1111.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Gold Award. Supportive residential services to reunite homeless mentally ill single parents with their children — The Emerson–Davis Family Development Center in Brooklyn, New York City. Psychiatric Services. 2000;51:433–1435.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mohit DL. Management and care of mentally ill mothers of young children: an innovative program. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 1996;X:49–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Bassett H, Lampe J, Lloyd C. Living with under fives: a programme for parents with mental illness. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2001;64:23–28.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Waldo MC, Roath M, Levin W, et al. A model program to teach parenting skills to schizophrenic mothers. Hospital and Community Psychiatry. 1987;38:1110–1112.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lieberman HJ, Campanelli PC, Ades Y, et al. Reunifying single-parent families with special needs. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 1999;23:42–46.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Shonkoff JP. Science, policy, and practice: three cultures in search of a shared mission. Child Development. 2000;71:181–187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hoagwood K, Burns BJ, Weisz JR. A profitable conjunction: from science to service in children’s mental health. In: Burns B, Hoagwood K, eds. Community Treatment for Youth. New York: Oxford University Press; 2002:327–376.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Weisz, JR. Lab–clinic differences and what we can do about them. Clinical Child Psychology Newsletter Spring 2000;15, No. 1.

  27. Munk BD. Providing integrated treatment for parent/infant dyads at risk because of parental emotional and mental illness. National Center for Clinical Infant Program. April/May 1993;13:29–35.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Rubovits PC: Project Child. An intervention programme for psychotic mothers and their young children. In: Goepfert M, Webster J, et al., eds. Parental Psychiatric Disorder: Distressed Parents and their Families. 1996:161–168.

  29. Nicholson J, Geller JL, Fisher WH. State policies and programs that address the needs of mentally ill mothers in the public sector. Hospital and Community Psychiatry. 1993;44:484–489.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In: Denzin NK, Lincoln YS, eds. Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 1994:105–117.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Thomas DR. A general inductive approach for qualitative data analysis. School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand. URL: http://www.health.auckland.ac.nz/hrmas/resources/qualdatanalysis.html. Date accessed: February 1, 2004.

  32. Millar A, Simeone RS, Carnevale JT. Logic models: a systems tool for performance management. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2001;24:73–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Katz-Leavy J, Faenza M, Ringeisen H, et al. From Science to Service and Service to Science: A Two-Way Street. Topical discussion presented at the 16th annual research conference: a System of Care for Children’s Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base, Tampa, FL, March 2–5, 2003.

  34. Friesen B, Karoloff N. Family-centered services: implications for mental health administration and research. Journal Mental Health Administration. 1990;17:13–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Koroloff NM, Friesen BJ. Challenges in conducting family-centered mental health services research. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. 1997;5:130–137.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Stroul BJ, Friedman RM. A System of Care for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children and Youth. Washington, DC: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University; 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Allen RI, Petr CG, Brown BFC. Family-Centered Behavior Scale and User’s Manual. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Beach Center on Families and Disability; 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Cowling V (Ed). Children of Parents with Mental Illness (1st ed.). Melbourne: Axis Publishing Services; 1999.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a contract from the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (CMHS-99M00481801D). Data from this article were presented at the Tampa meeting of the 15th Annual Research Conference for Children’s Mental Health in March 2002. The authors would like to thank our colleague from the UMMS Center for Mental Health Services Research, Valerie Williams, for her comments on earlier drafts. We would also like to acknowledge research assistant Ying Xiong for her assistance in completing the current manuscript. Finally, our greatest thanks go to the many program directors who agreed to participate in this study and gave generously of their time to support the effort.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mental Health Services Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Beth R. Hinden PhD

Authors
  1. Beth R. Hinden PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kathleen Biebel PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joanne Nicholson PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alexis Henry ScD, OTR/L
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Judith Katz-Leavy MEd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beth R. Hinden PhD.

Additional information

Kathleen Biebel, PhD, is a research instructor at Center for Mental Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.

Joanne Nicholson, PhD, is a associate professor of psychiatry and family medicine at Center for Mental Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.

Alexis Henry, ScD, OTR/L is a research assistant professor at Center for Health Policy and Research, UMass Medical School- Shrewsbury Campus (Worcester Foundation Campus), 222 Maple Avenue, Higgins Building Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

Judith Katz-Leavy, MEd, is a mental health consultant at 3053 Porter Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, USA.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hinden, B.R., Biebel, K., Nicholson, J. et al. A Survey of Programs for Parents with Mental Illness and their Families: Identifying Common Elements to Build the Evidence Base. JBHSR 33, 21–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-005-9007-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-005-9007-x

Key Words

Search

Navigation