The Role of Quality Service Systems in Involving Families in Mental Health Treatment for Children With Severe Emotional Disturbances

Abstract

Family involvement in the planning and execution of mental health treatment has been shown to positively influence child outcomes; however, there is wide variability in the levels of involvement by families. The current study investigated the influence of child, family caregiver, service system, and community factors on the level of family involvement in the mental health treatment of children with severe emotional disturbances (SED). While prior work in this area has primarily focused on family and child characteristics, the current study adds to the knowledge base by also exploring factors associated with the quality of service delivery that may influence levels of family involvement. The current study is a secondary analysis of existing data from the Impact Study of Medicaid in Mississippi and Tennessee (Brannan & Heflinger, 2006) that used in-depth interviews with parents and case review ratings. One hundred thirty-six children and adolescents who received Medicaid coverage for mental health treatment in Mississippi and Tennessee were the focus of this study that assessed child and caregiver characteristics at the beginning of the study and rated service system factors six-month after the study began. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed the quality of the service delivery system had the most influence on level of family involvement. Results suggest that levels of family involvement may have less to do with caregiver health, or other family characteristics, and more to do with the quality of the service delivery system.

Experience in care, burden, and hope of the family members of HIV patients with and without a history of injecting drug use in Indonesia: An exploratory case

“…Some factors can still be improved and implementation of shared decision-making will increase family involvement in the treatment (Mayberry & Heflinger, 2011). Taking an active role in decision-making, problem solving, and implementation of a personalized treatment plan is important to achieve better health outcomes (Swendeman, Ingram, & Rotheram-Borus, 2009).…”

“…Factors that are important for family involvement in care include the satisfaction of care given by healthcare providers, perceptions of the problems, and the belief that problems can be changed (Mayberry & Heflinger, 2011). Therefore, the aim of this present study is to explore and compare the perception of family members of HIV patients with and without a history of IDU in Indonesia in the context of: (i) care provided for HIV patients, (ii) harmful impact of the disease for their relatives, and (iii) the hope of family members concerning the future of their sick relatives.…”

Beyond co‐occurrence: Addressing the intersections of domestic violence, mental health and substance misuse

“…or programs where there is attention to dual diagnosis with MH and substance misuse issues, but which do not tackle the issue of DV (Holly & Horvath, 2012). Others are family focused interventions that traverse MH and its intersection with other issues, specifically for children whose parents have MH problems (Foster et al, 2016), or systems of care models which are family focused for children with severe emotional disturbance (Mayberry & Heflinger, 2012). While taking a broader brief than the individual, and often creating a multi‐disciplinary or multi‐organizational service that address the intersections of different problems within a family, they are not designed to specifically address these issues where domestic violence is present.…”

The Role of Families in Young Children's Mental Health

“…Family involvement is an aspect of service throughout the ages, family involvement has been typically defined in the research as the impetus and maintenance of time-consuming services [8], [16]. Family education, building family involvement in decision making, and keeping families informed in the complex treatment process consists of several processes, including family empowerment, and family support of the mental health of children [5].…”