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A family perspective on parental psychosis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis study

Abstract:

Objectives: While one third of people with a psychotic disorder are a parent, there has been little research to date examining the consequences of this from a whole family perspective. This study investigates families where a parent has experienced an episode of psychosis and compares and contrasts the family members' perspectives.

Design: This study was rooted in phenomenology and data were derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews.

Methods: Parents with a psychotic disorder who had a child aged between 3 and 11 in a UK NHS Trust were invited to take part in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these parents, with their child (if they were between the ages of 8 and 11), and with their partner or another close family member. Data were analysed using multiperspectival interpretive phenomenological analysis (m-IPA).

Results: Thirteen participants took part comprising of five parents, four children, three partners and one grandmother. Four themes were developed using m-IPA: (1) Parental psychosis impacts the whole family, (2) Psychosis and my role as a parent, (3) Secrecy and concealment surrounding parental psychosis, and (4) Pressures and vulnerabilities within the family system.

Conclusion: Psychosis had a negative impact on all family members and secrecy existed between family members. The children in particular only had partial information about their parent's mental illness, which left them worried and confused. More work is needed to support these families to explain psychosis to the children.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1111/papt.12443

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Psychiatry
Oxford college:
St Edmund Hall
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-1111-5711
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Social Policy & Intervention
Oxford college:
St Hilda's College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-8418-4270
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Psychiatry
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-3355-3202


Publisher:
Wiley
Journal:
Psychology and Psychotherapy More from this journal
Volume:
96
Issue:
2
Pages:
347-363
Publication date:
2022-12-04
Acceptance date:
2022-11-24
DOI:
EISSN:
2044-8341
ISSN:
1476-0835
Pmid:
36463435


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1311276
Local pid:
pubs:1311276
Deposit date:
2023-04-29

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