Intervention Programs for Children of Parents with a Mental Illness: A Critical Review

Abstract

There is widespread acknowledgement that children in families affected by parental mental illness are at risk for a range of poor life outcomes. There is also a growing number of interventions to meet the needs of this group of young people. This review evaluates the quality of the existing evidence for such intervention programs. Five hundred and twenty articles were reviewed, and twenty-six studies were judged to be relevant. The majority of the studies were randomised trials (n=8) and pre-post interventions with no comparison or control groups (n=8). None of the studies measured cost-effectiveness or included consumer or carer consultation, and few outlined the theoretical basis for the development of the intervention program. Seven studies were rated as methodologically strong, four as of moderate quality and fifteen as methodologically weak. This data provides very limited evidence of program effectiveness as determined by well-being or illness outcomes for the child. Practitioners should use a recognised theory in developing intervention programs, link program components to identified risk factors for this target group, select intervention components from across the public health spectrum and incorporate greater intersectoral collaboration. Future programs should be rigorously evaluated and widely disseminated, with long-term follow-up of participants.

Keywords:

• children
• parental mental illness
• intervention