Family options for parents with mental illnesses: a developmental, mixed methods pilot study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Family Therapy
• Child Development

Background:

• Serious mental illness in parents presents unique challenges for family functioning and child well-being.
• Rehabilitation interventions are crucial for supporting parental recovery and enhancing family resilience.
• Existing interventions often lack a focus on both parental recovery and child development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Family Options intervention, a program for parents with serious mental illnesses and their children.
• To evaluate the preliminary impact of Family Options on mothers' well-being, functioning, and perceived support.
• To assess mothers' satisfaction with the intervention and its delivery.

Main Methods:

• A developmental design incorporating mixed quantitative and qualitative methods was employed.
• Pilot study data were collected at 6-months post-enrollment from participating mothers (n=22).
• Data included measures of well-being, functioning, supports, resources, and qualitative feedback on intervention experience.

Main Results:

• Participating families encountered substantial challenges, including parental chronic mental health conditions and child emotional/behavioral difficulties.
• Mothers reported significant improvements in well-being, functioning, and access to supports and resources.
• Mothers perceived Family Options staff support as consistent with the intervention's goals and expressed high satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The Family Options intervention shows promise in improving outcomes for mothers with serious mental illnesses and their children.
• Findings suggest the intervention is well-received and perceived as helpful by participants.
• Further research and innovative designs are needed to build the evidence base for this population and promote intervention dissemination.