How Caregivers Make Meaning of Child Mental Health Problems: Toward Understanding Caregiver Strain and Help Seeking (original) (raw)
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This study examined caregiver strain in families who initiated mental health services for their child. Predictors of strain and the bidirectional relation between strain and child symptoms were examined. Participants included 218 children ages 4-13 with disruptive behavior problems and their caregivers, plus 96 psychotherapists, recruited from six publicly-funded clinics. Child disruptive behavior severity and caregiver strain were assessed at baseline, four, and eight months. Multilevel models were used to examine predictors of reduced caregiver strain, and autoregressive cross-lagged models were used to examine the bidirectional relations between change in caregiver strain and behavior problems over time. There were small to medium decreases in caregiver strain over the eight months after the initiation of mental health services, but few factors predicted change other than initial behavior problem severity. While more severe initial child symptoms predicted greater reductions in c...
But parents need help! Pathways to caregiver mental health care in pediatric hospital settings
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Journal of Family Issues, 2012
Children with emotional and behavioral disturbance often have difficulties in multiple symptom domains. This study investigates the relationships between child symptoms and caregiver strain and parenting stress among 177 youth and their caregivers participating in a school-based system of care. Youth were grouped by symptom domain and included those with low scores on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, those with only high internalizing symptoms, those with only high externalizing symptoms, and those with high symptoms levels in both internalizing and externalizing domains. Results revealed significant group differences on measures of caregiver strain and parenting stress. Caregivers of youth with symptoms in both internalizing and externalizing domains reported the highest levels of strain and stress; however, there was some variation in group differences by caregiver outcome. The results of this study emphasize the importance of providing not only services for youth bu...
Social Work in Mental Health, 2015
Introduction-The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression, use of mental health services, and correlates of service use among caregivers who are dually involved in the child welfare and child mental health systems. Methods-This study analyzed baseline data from 129 caregivers who reported child welfare system involvement and were participating in a Multiple Family Group service delivery model to reduce childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Results-Seventy-eight (60.5%) of caregivers met or exceed the clinical-cut off for depression; of them 50 (64.1%) reported utilizing mental health services for their emotional health. Race, employment status, and CES-D score were significantly associated with lifetime mental heath services use. Discussion-Depression rates exceeded those found among caregiver involved in either the child welfare or child mental health systems. Rates of service use were higher than found in existing research. As expected, racial differences and depression were associated with service use; contrary to expectations, full time employment was not associated with service use. Discrepancies between this study and existing research are discussed, as are practice, policy, and research implications.
Examining a peer-delivered program for child welfare-involved caregivers at risk for depression
Journal of Public Child Welfare, 2020
Caregivers involved in the child welfare system are at heightened risk for depression, which has innumerable, deleterious effects upon the family. Screening and active outreach can facilitate identification and service use, yet there are considerable obstacles to detection and help-seeking. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a peer-delivered detection and active outreach program upon depression and engagement in mental health services. Twenty-four caregivers participated in this four-session intervention (Mage? = ? 32.5?±?7.46 years). Caregivers evidenced significant reductions in depressive from baseline to posttest and from baseline to followup; scores moved from clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms (M = 26.33) to the subclinical range (M = 14.4 at followup). A notable increase in treatment engagement over time, as well as the stability of caregivers involved in treatment was detected. Finally, the number of perceived barriers to help seeking were similar among caregivers who were engaged versus not engaged in services. The findings suggest that the active components of the intervention, when delivered by a peer, can effectively reduce depressive symptoms among high-risk caregivers.
Problem-Solving Intervention for Caregivers of Children With Mental Health Problems
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 2013
Building Our Solutions and Connections (BOSC) focused on enhancing problem-solving skills (PSS) of primary caregivers of children with mental health problems. Aims were determining feasibility, acceptability, and effect size (ES) estimates for depression, burden, personal control, and PSS. Methods: Caregivers were randomized to BOSC (n = 30) or wait-list control (WLC) groups (n = 31). Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Results: Three-months post-intervention, ES for burden and personal control were .07 and .08, respectively. ES for depressed caregivers for burden and personal control were 0.14 and 0.19, respectively. Conclusions: Evidence indicates that the intervention had desired effects.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression, use of mental health services, and correlates of service use among caregivers who are dually involved in the child welfare and child mental health systems. Methods: This study analyzed baseline data from 129 caregivers who reported child welfare system involvement and were participating in a Multiple Family Group service delivery model to reduce childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Results: Seventy-eight (60.5%) of caregivers met or exceed the clinical-cut off for depression; of them 50 (64.1%) reported utilizing mental health services for their emotional health. Race, employment status, and CES-D score were significantly associated with lifetime mental heath services use. Discussion: Depression rates exceeded those found among caregiver involved in either the child welfare or child mental health systems. Rates of service use were higher than found in existing research. As expected, racial differences and depression were associated with service use; contrary to expectations, full time employment was not associated with service use. Discrepancies between this study and existing research are discussed, as are practice, policy, and research implications.
Parents' Perceptions of Their Child's Emotional Illness and Psychiatric Treatment Needs
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 1996
PROBLEM. The purpose of this study was to describe how parents define their child's emotional illness and psychiatric treatment needs. SUBJECTS. The sample consisted of 19 parents and one grandparent (N = 20) who had recently admitted their child to a short-term psychiatric unit. METHODS. Qualitative methods, utilizing a semistructured interuiew. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Substantive codes were combined to derive the key concepts and themes in the interviews. FINDINGS. The findings of this study center on themes related to parents' efiorts to control the current behavioral crisis, treatment acceptability, family needs, explanatory formulations, and securing the child's future. CONCLUSIONS. Implications for treatment include how nurses might tap into parents' perceptions to facilitate parent' professional communication.