Parents of Children With Mental Illness: Exploring the Caregiver Experience and Caregiver-Focused Interventions
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Issue Date
2011Author
Mendenhall, Amy N.
Mount, Katherine
Publisher
Alliance for Children and Families
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Serious mental illness in children can significantly impact the parents who care for these children in both positive and negative ways. Caregiver
strain and enrichment manifests in all areas of parents’ lives, including work, mental and physical health, and social and family relationships.
Research has identified numerous predictors of caregiver strain such as severity of child’s illness and impairment, race, and social support. These
parents need strengths-based, parent-focused interventions to help them care for themselves and their family in a healthy, effective manner. A
brief summary describes 4 types of interventions for parents of children with mental illness and the supporting research. Education, support,
and skill building are all important components in parent interventions. A parent focus for interventions and research will decrease caregiver
strain and create a healthier environment for the entire family.
Description
© 2011 Alliance for Children and Families
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Citation
Mendenhall, A.N. & Mount, K. (2011). Parents of youth with mental illness: A look at caregiver strain and caregiver-focused interventions. Families in Society, 92(2), 183-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.4097
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