When your parent has a mental illness: children's experiences of a psycho-educational intervention

Psycho-education is a key component of interventions for young people who have a parent with a mental illness. When your parent has a mental illness is a psycho-educational booklet designed for young people, developed by the Australian Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) national initiative. The booklet aims to promote young people's understanding of their parents' mental illness. This pilot study sought to ascertain possible differences in knowledge of mental illness after the young people viewed the booklet; another aim was to obtain young people's feedback on how they used the booklet. A mixed methods research design was employed. Nine participants between 12-15 years of age completed the Children's Knowledge Scale of Mental Illness questionnaire before and after reading the booklet. Five of these participants then took part in follow-up interviews. No significant change was recorded on the Knowledge Scale. In the interviews, young people indicated that the booklet helped them initiate conversations with their parent about the parent's illness. Results tentatively indicate the effectiveness of the booklet as a psycho-educational resource for young people whose parent has a mental illness. Implications for practice and future research in this area are discussed.