Emotional Well-Being of Parents Undergoing Family Therapy in a Children’s Psychiatric Clinic

Introduction Parents today can be important members of a multi-professional team, helping children with mental illness. The well-being of the parents is an important factor in successfully helping the child and willingness to cooperate with specialists. Objectives To investigate the experiences of parents undergoing family psychotherapy on an outpatient basis and during a child’s hospitalization. Methods 86 parents who applied for family therapy on an outpatient basis and 80 parents (main group) of hospitalized children took part in the study. Participants were offered the following questionnaires: Beck Hopelessness Scale, modified scales of the Dembo-Rubinstein, GAD-7, PHQ-9, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. The study was conducted from 04/01/2021 to 04/14/2021. Results The main group significantly differs from the outpatient group in the following parameters (according to the t-test): the level of depression (M=18,34 and M=11,61 respectively) and anxiety (M=12,07 and M=7,96 respectively), the quality of life in the sphere of emotional well-being, social sphere, activity and free time, as well as the happiness self-assessment scales. The results on the scales of depression and hopelessness are inversely significantly associated with the willingness of parents to participate in family psychotherapy (r=-0,74, p=0,01) visit the child (r=-0,58, p=0,05), and regularly contact a doctor (r=-0,61, p=0,05). Conclusions Depending on the well-being of family members and the tasks facing the family, family assistance may differ depending on the stage of treatment of the child. Disclosure No significant relationships.