Evaluating the parental fitness of psychiatrically diagnosed individuals: Advocating a functional-contextual analysis of parenting.

Abstract

The parental fitness of psychiatrically diagnosed individuals is often questioned in termination of parental rights cases. The goal of this article is to shift the focus from a predisposing bias of unfitness to a functional-contextual analysis of parenting behavior and competency. Three underlying biased assumptions are relevant for the courts' decision making: (a) that a diagnosis (past or present) predicts inadequate parenting and child risk, (b) that a diagnosis predicts unamenability to parenting interventions, and (c) that a diagnosis means the parent is forever unfit. Each assumption will be considered in light of empirical evidence, with major depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and mental retardation provided as examples of diagnostic labels often assumed to render a parent unfit. A research agenda to improve clinicians' ability to assess parental fitness and understanding of how parental mental illness, mental retardation, or substance abuse might compromise parenting capacities is discussed for forensic purposes.

Reentry of elementary aged children following reunification from foster care

“…Including better measures of family size may be critical to explain the reentry of cases. Maternal cognitive style, cognitive limitations, and parenting schemas (Azar, Nix, & Makin-Byrd, 2005;Benjet, Azar, & Kuersten-Hogan, 2003) are other factors that are likely to be related to successful negotiation of child welfare services, but not measured here. Finally, direct observation of parents in action almost certainly has no equal in explaining child and family outcomes and was sorely missing from the measures.…”

Parental Cooperation with Social Services and Termination of Parental Rights in Israeli Court Cases of Child Maltreatment

“…The research literature on termination of parental rights is limited (Azar et al 1995;Benjet et al 2003;Jellinek et al 1992;Meyer et al 2010;Noonan and Burke 2005). Even more limited is the literature on parental cooperation with SS and the legal outcome of termination of parental rights (Fauth et al 2010;Littell 2001).…”

The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Intervention for Parents with FASD

“…These results are consistent with results found by Clark et al (2004) in one of the few Canadian studies on adults with FASD, in which 92% of the sample had a mental health disorder with high rates of ADHD, depression, and panic disorder. Benjet et al (2003) found that individuals with mental illnesses are more likely to be viewed as incompetent and judged harshly, less likely to be desired as employees or tenants, and more likely to receive harsh treatment. So in addition to the barriers already faced by individuals with FASD such as difficulty obtaining stable employment or housing, their mental health issues likely further exacerbate these problems.…”