Top

Published in:

01-11-2015 | Original Paper

The Help-Seeking Experiences of Parents of Children with a First-Episode of Psychosis

Authors: David Skubby, Natalie Bonfine, Hattie Tracy, Kristen Knepp, Mark R. Munetz

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 8/2015

Abstract

The objective was to understand the experiences of parents as they sought psychological and specialized medical services for a loved one having a first episode of psychosis. The research method was qualitative and the data gathering was done through semi-structured interviews. Eleven parents of eight adolescent or young adult children consented to be interviewed. Data from these interviews were coded and sorted. Parents reported that many of their encounters resulted in delays in accessing treatment. These encounters were characterized by misattributions of the child’s behavior, poor advice, misdiagnosis, disbelief in the seriousness of the child’s condition, and an unwillingness to share information. But parents also reported that encounters with other individuals were characterized by helpful advice, emotional support, and suggestions as to how to access early intervention services. Encounters with many professionals were generally not helpful to parents. These encounters served as roadblocks to accessing proper treatment for their child. More publicity, outreach, and education are recommended in the professional community.

Addington, J., Addington, D., Jones, B., & Ko, T. (2001). Family intervention in an early psychosis program. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 5, 272–286.CrossRef

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders DSM-IV. Washington, DC.

Bergner, E., Leiner, A. S., Carter, T., Franz, L., Thompson, N. J., & Compton, M. T. (2008). The period of untreated psychosis before treatment initiation: A qualitative study of family members’ perspectives. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 49, 530–536.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Boydell, K. M., Pong, R., Volpe, T., Tilleczek, K., Wilson, E., & Lemieux, S. (2006). Family perspectives on pathways to mental health care for children and youth in rural communities. Journal of Rural Health, 22(2), 182–188.CrossRefPubMed

Compton, M. T., & Broussard, B. (2009). The first episode of psychosis: A guide for patients and their families. New York: Oxford University Press.

Compton, M. T., Chien, V. H., Leiner, A. S., Goulding, S. M., & Weiss, P. S. (2008). Mode of onset of psychosis and family involvement in help-seeking as determinants of duration of untreated psychosis. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43, 975–982.CrossRefPubMed

Compton, M. T., Goulding, S. M., Gordon, T. L., Weiss, P. S., & Kaslow, N. J. (2009). Family-level predictors and correlates of the duration of untreated psychosis in African American first-episode patients. Schizophrenia Research, 115, 338–345.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Compton, M. T., Kaslow, N. J., & Walker, E. F. (2004). Observations on parent/family factors that may influence the duration of untreated psychosis among African American first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum patients. Schizophrenia Research, 68, 73–385.CrossRef

Corcoran, C., Gerson, R., Sills-Shahar, R., Nickou, C., McGlashan, T., Malaspina, D., et al. (2007). Trajectory to a first episode of psychosis: A qualitative research study with families. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 1, 08–315.CrossRef

Cratsley, K., Regan, J., McAllister, V., Simic, M., & Aitchison, K. J. (2008). Duration of untreated psychosis, referral route, and age of onset in an early intervention in psychosis and a local CAMHS. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13(3), 130–133.CrossRef

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Czuchta, D. M., & McCay, E. (2001). Help-seeking for parents of individuals experiencing a first episode of schizophrenia. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 15(4), 159–170.CrossRefPubMed

Franz, L., Carter, T., Leiner, A. S., Bergner, E., Thompson, N. J., & Compton, M. T. (2010). Stigma and treatment delay in first-episode psychosis: A grounded theory study. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 4(1), 47–56.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Gerson, R., Davidson, L., Booty, A., Wong, C., McGlashan, T., Malespina, D., et al. (2009). Families’ experience with seeking treatment for recent-onset psychosis”. Psychiatric Services, 60(6), 812–816.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Goulding, S. M., Leiner, A. S., Thompson, N. J., Weiss, P. S., Kaslow, N. J., & Compton, M. T. (2008). Family strengths: A potential determinant of the duration of untreated psychosis among hospitalized African-American first-episode patients. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2, 162–168.CrossRefPubMed

Keshavan, M. S., Rabinowitz, J., DeSmedt, G., Harvey, P. D., & Schooler, N. (2004). Correlates of insight in first episode psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 70, 187–194.CrossRefPubMed

McEvoy, J. P., Johnson, J., Perkins, D., Lieberman, J. A., Hamer, R. M., Keefe, R. S. E., et al. (2006). Insight in first-episode psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 36, 1385–1393.CrossRefPubMed

Morgan, C., Abdul-Al, R., Lappin, J. M., Jones, P., Fearon, P., Leese, M., et al. (2006). Clinical and social determinants of duration of untreated psychosis in the AESOP first-episode psychosis study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 189, 446–452.CrossRefPubMed

Morgan, C., Mallet, R., Hutchinson, G., Bagalkote, H., Morgan, K., Fearon, P., et al. (2005). Pathways to care and ethnicity. 2: Source of referral and help-seeking: Report from the AESOP study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 186, 290–296.CrossRefPubMed

Norman, R. M. G., Malla, A. K., Verdi, M. B., Hassall, L. D., & Fazekas, C. (2004). Understanding delay in treatment in first-episode psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 34, 255–266.CrossRefPubMed

Tanskanen, S., Morant, N., Hinton, M., Lloyd-Evans, B., Crosby, M., Killaspy, H., et al. (2011). Service user and carer experiences of seeking help for a first episode of psychosis: A UK qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 11, 157–168.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Weiss, R. S. (1994). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview studies. New York: Free Press.

Wong, C., Davidson, L., Anglin, D., Link, B., Gerson, R., Malaspina, D., et al. (2009). Stigma in families of individuals in early stages of psychotic illness: Family stigma and early psychosis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 3, 108–115.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Title: The Help-Seeking Experiences of Parents of Children with a First-Episode of Psychosis
Authors: David Skubby
Natalie Bonfine
Hattie Tracy
Kristen Knepp
Mark R. Munetz
Publication date: 01-11-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 8/2015
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9877-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

The Help-Seeking Experiences of Parents of Children with a First-Episode of Psychosis

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 8/2015

Neighborhood Social Environment and Patterns of Depressive Symptoms Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Acknowledgement and Appreciation

Open Dialogue and its Relevance to the NHS: Opinions of NHS Staff and Service Users

Continuity of Care in Children’s Mental Health: Parent, Youth and Provider Perspectives

The Experience of KAI MAHI, an Employment Initiative for People with an Experience of Mental Illness, as Told by Zarna, Zeus, Lulu, Mary, Paul, and Hemi

Factors Influencing Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Adults by Age: Results of the 2010–2011 Korean Health and Nutrition Examination Survey