Child Talks+: A New Intervention to Support Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness

Child Talks+ is a preventive intervention developed with the aim to assist mental health professionals in offering support to children of parents with mental health problems and/ or addiction problems. This brief report presents the intervention, which can be adopted by mental health workers, social workers and other healthcare professionals who are in contact with patients who are parents. Parents and their children are entitled to receive psychoeducation about the parents’ mental health problems. Interventions to provide knowledge and support will enable parents and children to have a mutual understanding of the situation in the family and possible changes in parental behavior. Common grounds can make it easier for the family to speak openly about mental health problems within the family. The intervention aims to enhance parenting communication skills. After completing the intervention, patients should feel more equipped to talk with the children about their mental health problems, as well as listen to the children’s needs and experiences.

School Mental Health Promotion: Supporting Children Impacted by Family and Parent Mental Health Conditions

Given the high prevalence of children living with a parent who has a mental health condition, prevention and early intervention strategies have attracted much attention over the past decade. Given the role teachers and educators play in children’s academic and social development, the school context has gained much attention in mental health promotion research. There is a growing evidence of the effectiveness of school-based mental health programs to facilitate strategies that address some of the challenges associated with stigma and prejudice.