It should be noted that estimates of parental illness vary in whether they include severe, moderate or broader categories of illness. Internationally, approximately 10% of children are estimated to have a parent with a chronic medical condition such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. Physical illnesses such as cancer are estimated to affect 3.1% of Norwegian children (0–18 years), and 8.4% of young adults (19–25 years). In Norway, parent prevalence is estimated to be 10.4–23.1% for severe and moderate mental disorders, with severe alcohol use disorder estimated to affect 2.7% of Norwegian children. A recent systematic review of 9 studies showed parent prevalence among patients in adult psychiatric services to range from 12.2 to 45.0%. Many children are affected by parental illness. Prevention of mental illness in families is a prominent feature of recent health policies that has been found to work in mental health prevention practices.įamily focused practice supports the whole family unit, both the parents with an illness, and the children, and it has been suggested that it includes a continuum of practices, with core elements such as family care planning, goal-setting, liaison between families and services, instrumental, emotional and social support, assessment of family members, psychoeducation, and a coordinated system of care between families and services. In physical health, a systematic review of 19 psychosocial interventions for families with parental cancer also showed most to be helpful, with improvements in quality of life and mental health or distress. Increasing parenting skills and improving young people’s knowledge and resilience are key elements in 13 individual, group and family interventions that were recently meta-analysed, showing that these factors reduce by 40% children’s risk of developing the same mental illness as their parents. These changes in law are based on research evidence. These regulations are in line with international recommendations to include family focused, family centred, family sensitive, family oriented, family based, family inclusive or child cantered practices to support the children of parents ill with mental health, substance abuse or physical illness. The regulations deriving from the 2010 law in Norway require all health professionals to (a) register dependent children in the patient’s health record, (b) have conversations with the parent about children’s need for information and support, (c) offer help in family information sharing and conversations with children, (d) ensure that children can visit parents at the hospital, (e) assess children’s and the family’s needs, and (f) gain parents’ consent to cooperate with other services in establishing necessary support. Norway, Finland and Sweden now require all health professionals to encourage support for children of parents with all types of illnesses.
#Family focused healthcare registration#
Trial registration The study is approved by the Regional Committee on Medical and Health Research Ethics South-East Q5 37 (reg.
#Family focused healthcare full#
The use of implementation theories and improvement strategies could promote full implementation, where all families and children in need were identified and had access to family support. Conclusionsĭifferences in implementation of family focused practice highlight the need to tailor improvement strategies to specific barriers at the different hospitals.
The two largest hospitals scored highest on family support, but with significant differences on parents refusing to have conversations with children. The smallest hospital had less workplace support and less knowledge and skills but scored medium on family support. Comparison of the five hospitals showed significant differences in terms of workplace support, knowledge and skills and family support. Overall, health professionals scored high on knowledge and skills, and were confident in working with families and children, but reported moderate levels of family support and referrals. This cross-sectional study examined the adherence of health professionals’ ( N = 280) in five hospitals to new guidelines for family focused practice, using a translated and generic version of Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire. There is a lack of knowledge on how the national changes have been received by hospital-based health professionals, and if they have led to an increase in family focused practice. Changes in Norwegian law and health policy require all health professionals to help safeguard the provision of information and follow-up for the children of parents with mental or physical illness, or substance abuse problems, to decrease their risk of psychosocial problems.
0 kommentar(er)
