The Psychological Process of Parents Caring for Adolescents With Depression and Suicidal Tendencies: A Qualitative...

To explore the psychological process of parents caring for adolescents with depression and suicidal tendencies.

Grounded theory.

The theoretical sample consisted of 19 parents of adolescents with depression and suicidal tendencies. Data were collected in 2023 at five psychiatric outpatient departments in Taiwan using semi-structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyse the data.

Four interrelated phases emerged to describe the non-linear phases of the psychological process of parents caring for adolescents with depression and suicidal tendencies experienced: (a) Shock: Parents misjudged their child's emotions and behaviours due to the child's concealment; (b) Confronting reality: Parents realised that accepting their child's illness was crucial for providing compassionate care; (c) Challenges: Parents faced various challenges while gently supporting their child's healing and recovering from their illness; (d) Regulation: Parents regulated their mindsets and changed their own behavioural patterns and sought relevant support, ultimately discovering the most esteemed approach to interact with their child.

The main contribution was the use of Grounded Theory to generate an emergent theory recounting the four psychological phases of parents while caring for their children. The most critical aspect of this process was the parents' need to gently and compassionately face the challenges posed by their children's depression and suicidal tendencies.

In clinical practice, psychiatric professionals could use the findings as a map to provide care to parents caring for adolescents with depression and suicidal tendencies as they gently move through the non-linear phases of the psychological process. Future studies could explore appropriate care pathways that facilitate parents' timely transition from the shock phase to the regulation phase of healing.

This study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) criteria.

No patient or public contribution.