Psychiatry - Theses
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ItemWhat are the special characteristics of families who provide long term care for children of parents with mental illness?( 2003)This project investigated characteristics relating to family functioning and attitudes to mental illness, and caregiving, which distinguish families choosing to care for children of parents with mental illness (CPMI) from families who choose not to but do care for other children (NCPMI), and from families not involved in the adoptive care system (COMM). Welfare agencies seeking long term home based care for children of parents with mental illness (among other groups of children) report that potential caregivers are concerned about the child’s genetic risk, and the requirement that they facilitate access visits with the birth parent. Consequently it is more difficult to recruit caregivers to care for children of parents with mental illness. Previous studies found that families who adopt children with special needs had family systems that were flexible and able to adapt to changing needs, and in which family members felt close to one another. It was not known if the functioning of families who care for children of parents with mental illness would differ from other family groups. Nor was it known if these families would differ in motivation to be caregivers and attitudes to mental illness from other family groups. Forty four families completed a questionnaire providing background information, and a family functioning questionnaire which included the FACES II measure (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale) and questions assessing level of altruism, and tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner. Data from the FACES II measure was used to classify families according to the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. Q-methodology was used to assess participants’ attitudes to eight issues related to the research question: mental illness, children of parents with mental illness, parents having a mental illness, family environment, motivation to be caregivers, ongoing contact between child in care and parent, approval of others when deciding to be a caregiver, and flexibility in deciding to accept a certain child for placement. The Q-method required participants to rate 42 statements (a Q-set), concerning these issues, according to a fixed distribution, from statements with which they strongly agreed to statements with which they strongly disagreed. Participants could also give open-ended responses to questions addressing the same issues in a semi-structured interview. The CPMI group were found to have a lower level of income and education than the other two groups, and were more likely to be full time caregivers. Both caregiver groups were unlikely to have children of their own. The profiles of the three groups on the cohesion and flexibility sub-scales of FACES II were similar. The classification of the family groups on the Circumplex model showed that the CPMI group were located in the balanced and mid-range levels of the model more so than the other two groups. Responses to the Q-sort and interview questions suggested that the CPMI families were more understanding of mental illness, and of the needs of the children and capacity of their parents. It is suggested that future studies increase the number of participants, and investigate in more detail the factors which motivate families who provide long term care for children of parents with mental illness.