Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India
Background: Mental illness in parents impairs their parenting capability, which has a lifelong detrimental impact on their children’s physical and psychological health. In the current Indian context, due to weak social security nets, family is the only plausible intervention to ensure adequate subst...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2408 |
| _version_ | 1797457619952074752 |
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| author | Saju Madavanakadu Devassy Lorane Scaria Lynette Joubert |
| author_facet | Saju Madavanakadu Devassy Lorane Scaria Lynette Joubert |
| author_sort | Saju Madavanakadu Devassy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Mental illness in parents impairs their parenting capability, which has a lifelong detrimental impact on their children’s physical and psychological health. In the current Indian context, due to weak social security nets, family is the only plausible intervention to ensure adequate substitute child care. Therefore, this study explores various risk factors and barriers to providing substitute family care. Methods: We used a mixed-method approach to gather information from 94 substitute family caregivers. Quantitative screening data were collected from four hospitals using a clinical data mining tool and an interview guide to gather caregiver perspectives on economic, familial, and social risks and barriers associated with caring. We used thematic analysis to consolidate the qualitative findings. Results: Most of the substitute caregivers were females from low-income households. The study identified 11 sub-themes and 23 specific themes associated with risks and barriers to substitute care. These themes fell into four broad areas: economic, familial, school-related risks, and specific cultural and service access barriers. Focus on economic interventions is likely to result in strengthening the substitute family caregiver. Conclusion: The paradigmatic shift of treatment focus from the patient to the entire household would benefit the children just as it does the patient. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:24:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72570b23efef44c6b8ba3476ae1a4e02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:24:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-72570b23efef44c6b8ba3476ae1a4e022023-11-24T15:09:29ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322022-11-011012240810.3390/healthcare10122408Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, IndiaSaju Madavanakadu Devassy0Lorane Scaria1Lynette Joubert2Department of Social Work, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi 683104, Kerala, IndiaDepartment of Social Work, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi 683104, Kerala, IndiaDepartment of Social Work, Melbourne School of Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, AustraliaBackground: Mental illness in parents impairs their parenting capability, which has a lifelong detrimental impact on their children’s physical and psychological health. In the current Indian context, due to weak social security nets, family is the only plausible intervention to ensure adequate substitute child care. Therefore, this study explores various risk factors and barriers to providing substitute family care. Methods: We used a mixed-method approach to gather information from 94 substitute family caregivers. Quantitative screening data were collected from four hospitals using a clinical data mining tool and an interview guide to gather caregiver perspectives on economic, familial, and social risks and barriers associated with caring. We used thematic analysis to consolidate the qualitative findings. Results: Most of the substitute caregivers were females from low-income households. The study identified 11 sub-themes and 23 specific themes associated with risks and barriers to substitute care. These themes fell into four broad areas: economic, familial, school-related risks, and specific cultural and service access barriers. Focus on economic interventions is likely to result in strengthening the substitute family caregiver. Conclusion: The paradigmatic shift of treatment focus from the patient to the entire household would benefit the children just as it does the patient.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2408parental mental illnesschildrenrisk factorsfamily careIndia |
| spellingShingle | Saju Madavanakadu Devassy Lorane Scaria Lynette Joubert Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India Healthcare parental mental illness children risk factors family care India |
| title | Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India |
| title_full | Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India |
| title_fullStr | Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India |
| title_short | Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India |
| title_sort | risks and barriers in substitute care for the children of parents with serious mental illness a mixed method study in kerala india |
| topic | parental mental illness children risk factors family care India |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2408 |
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