KidsTime: A multifamily prevention approach for parents with a mental illness and their children and relatives

Abstract

A total of 32% of children whose parents have some mental health problems are estimated to be diagnosed with some mental disorder later in life. As a consequence, a need arises to offer preventive psychological interventions aimed at these children. The aims were to investigate whether there are significant changes before and after the KidsTime program. In total, 101 people participated in the program, and pre-intervention and post-intervention data on self-stigma, self-esteem, resilience, parenting practices and strength and difficulties of thirty-three parents with mental illness were obtained. Significant pre-post differences were found in the ‘expression of affection’ subscale of the parenting practices and in self-stigma. In the group of parents with a mental illness, the KidsTime program showed improvement of parents' emotional support for their children and a reduction in their self-stigma as well. Multi-family interventions are key to improving self-stigma and parenting skills, and this can lead to prevention of future mental health problems in their children.