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Sharing the load: Parents and carers talk to consumer consultants at a child and youth mental health inpatient unit
Author(s) -
Geraghty Kerry,
McCann Karen,
King Robert,
Eichmann Kathryn
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00730.x
Subject(s) - peer support , mental health , feeling , mental illness , medicine , nursing , coping (psychology) , mental health service , service (business) , psychology , psychiatry , content analysis , unit (ring theory) , social psychology , social science , mathematics education , economy , sociology , economics
Caring for a child or adolescent affected by mental illness has been identified as imposing stresses and burdens in excess of those usually associated with child rearing. Peer support has been identified as one means by which these stresses and burdens can be reduced. This study investigated the work of a peer support service provided by Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service in Brisbane, Australia. The study took the form of a content analysis of records of consultations between consumer consultants and 50 families/carers of children admitted into the acute inpatient unit during the period May 2006–April 2008. The content analysis identified four key themes or domains: experience of service provision, emotions and feelings associated with the admission, need for information, and coping with challenges. The findings from the study affirm the role of consumer consultants in child and adolescent inpatient services. Some families value a peer perspective and the opportunity to seek advice and information around a wide variety of topics from people not directly involved in the treatment of their child.