What Can We Learn? Adult Outcomes in Children of Seriously Mentally Ill Mothers
What Can We Learn? Adult Outcomes in Children of Seriously Mentally Ill Mothers
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1744-6171.2008.00136.x
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发表时间：
2008-05-01
影响因子：
1.5
通讯作者：
O'Connell, Kathleen LeClear
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
O'Connell, Kathleen LeClear
问题：缺乏关于严重精神疾病母亲的子女的经历、需求和干预的信息。方法：采用定量和定性调查方法回顾性探讨严重精神疾病母亲的成年子女的特征和需求。样本（N = 40）是通过推荐和媒体广告招募的。将与依恋、家庭环境和养育方式相关的童年变量与抑郁、生活质量、连贯感和自尊等成年幸福结果进行比较。参与者还回答了“关于你作为患有严重精神疾病的母亲的孩子的经历，本研究中还应该包含哪些其他问题？”的问题，此外，他们还自发地对调查问题的答案添加了自己的澄清。调查结果：很明显，参与者的童年是破坏性的，而且常常是痛苦的。超过一半的样本报告称，他们自己在成年后诊断出抑郁症。尽管有这些因素，研究样本中的大多数成员在成年后都表现良好，这通常是由于他们自己的原因结论：成年期抑郁症的发病率很高，并且参与者自己对童年时期的痛苦记忆和经历的描述表明，可以而且应该采取更多措施来帮助患有精神疾病的母亲的孩子应对童年时期的环境。
PROBLEM: Information is lacking about the experiences, needs of, and interventions for children of seriously mentally ill mothers.METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry were used to retrospectively explore the characteristics and needs of adult children of seriously mentally ill mothers. The sample ( N = 40) was recruited by referral and media advertisements. Childhood variables related to attachment, family environment, and parenting were compared to adult well- being outcomes of depression, quality of life, sense of coherence, and self- esteem. Participants also responded to the question ''What other question should have been included in this study about your experience as the child of a seriously mentally ill mother?" and, additionally, spontaneously added their own clarifications of their answers to the survey questions.FINDINGS: It was apparent that the childhoods of participants were disruptive and often painful. Over half of the sample reported having their own diagnosis of depression in adulthood. Despite these factors, most members of the study sample were functioning well in adulthood, most often as a result of their own initiative.CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of depression in adulthood and participants' own descriptions of their painful memories and experiences of childhood identifies that more can and should be done to assist children of mentally ill mothers to cope with their environments. Interventions at various times in childhood are described.