Double loss in the Chinese families of parental depression: A qualitative study

Abstract

Although many studies have examined the lived experiences of children whose parents have depression in the West, few have been conducted in the Chinese context. This study aimed to identify the subjective experiences of parents living with major depressive disorder (MDD) and of adolescents with parental depression by investigating how adolescents and parents interpret and respond to parental depression.

This study adopted a qualitative approach and conducted a purposive sampling of community mental health services in Hong Kong to capture the experiences of both parents with MDD and their adolescent children. The research employed multiple methods of data collection, including focus groups with adolescents (n = 1); in-depth semi-structured interviews with adolescents (n = 8) and their parents (n = 12); and dyadic interviews (n = 8). A total of 14 families participated in the study. Thematic analysis was employed as the data analysis method.

Two themes were generated: “the loss of parenthood” and “the loss of certainty.” While suffering from MDD denuded parents of parenthood in various ways, adolescents highlighted a sense of uncertainty and loss of orientation in the challenges of living with their parents. The findings are used to suggest policy and service provision to support families with parental depression to alleviate the suffering of double loss.