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Ytterhus B, Hafting M, Vallesverd VU, Wiig EM, Kallander EK, Trondsen MV. Children as next of kin's experiences, practices, and voice in everyday life: a systematic review of studies with Norwegian data (2010-2022). Scand J Public Health 2024:14034948241232040. [PMID: 38506846 DOI: 10.1177/14034948241232040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Aims: This systematic review aims to identify and describe how children of parents with mental illness, substance dependence, or severe physical illness/injury, experience and practise their everyday life. Methods: The review followed the four stepwise recommendations of Harden and colleagues when including quantitative and qualitative studies on peoples' experiences and views. In all, 23 studies with data from Norway (2010-2022) have been included. Brown and Clark's thematic analysis was applied. Results: Three themes were constructed from the reviewed articles: (a) Children practice their relational agency by actively doing practical tasks, occasionally jobs to maintain family economy, and organising fun activities with the ill parent. (b) Emotional ambivalence when their own needs were set aside in favour of the parents. They loved their parents but also felt guilt, anger, disappointment, shame, fear of inheriting the illness and longed for a 'normal' everyday life. (c) Supportive contextual factors were, for example, at least one significant adult recognising them, participating in leisure activities, socialising with friends, and talking with other peers who shared similar experiences as next of kin. Obstructive factors were lack of information and recognition as well as silence and lack of dialogue within the family and/or health professional. Conclusions: There is a strong need for more knowledge and competence on the situation and needs of these children when it comes to professionals, parents and the public. Public health initiatives are needed to honour their agency and recognise their contributions in present time to prevent psychosocial problems later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borgunn Ytterhus
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Vibecke Ulvær Vallesverd
- BarnsBeste (Children's Best Interests) - National Competence Network for Children as Next of Kin, Sørlandet Hospital Trust, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Eli Marie Wiig
- KORUS Sør (Resource Centre for Addiction, southern region), Skien, Norway
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Clarke T, Platt R. Children's Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry. CHILD INDICATORS RESEARCH 2023; 16:963-996. [PMID: 37274807 PMCID: PMC9981449 DOI: 10.1007/s12187-023-10016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This phenomenological inquiry investigated children's wellbeing experiences at school, including their hedonic (feeling good) and eudaimonic (doing good) accounts, a distinction often overlooked. Further, while phenomenological inquiries of children's mental ill-health exist, wellbeing, a fundamental part of mental health, is neglected. This is at odds with positive psychology which favours strengths-based approaches to studying human development. Phenomenology provides rich detail, facilitating deeper understanding of why and how certain factors affect wellbeing, as described by children themselves. A sample of 15 children (aged 9-11), attending one English primary school broadly representative of the national socio-demographic, engaged in interviews. Children's experiences of 'feeling good' at school were characterised by: an interdependence on peers' emotional states (described as 'a domino effect'), a need to feel cared for by, and trust, adults, and desire for autonomy over their time. Children attributed mistrust in adults to adults disregarding seemingly incidental events which felt significant to children. Children experienced 'doing well' as equating to academic attainment, conveying a fixation with test scores, using language of 'correctness' and efficiency. Shame pervaded when 'correctness' was not achieved, with children describing being ridiculed for poor test scores. Recommendations for schools to support children's hedonia include prioritising wellbeing curricula and emotional literacy, greater staff reflexivity, and prioritisation of pupil voice. To foster children's eudaimonia, recommendations include the need for teachers to provide formative, personalised feedback for pupils focused on the learning process, and the need for Government to embrace a range of ways pupils can feel successful beyond academic attainment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-023-10016-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Clarke
- Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, 184 Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 8PQ UK
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Mjøsund NH, Eide T, Kufås E, Faugli A, Eilertsen G. Mental health promotion as perceived by Norwegian adolescents with somatically ill parents - an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Health Psychol Behav Med 2023; 11:2213298. [PMID: 37201175 PMCID: PMC10187081 DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2023.2213298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Having a somatically ill parent can influence adolescents' daily lives and mental health. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of mental health promotion among adolescents with a somatically ill parent, based on a salutogenic orientation. Methods Individual interviews with 11 adolescents (13-18 years of age) with a somatically ill parent were conducted. The data were analysed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results A superordinate theme, feeling at home in a house of mental health-promoting conversations, frames the participants' perceptions of a prominent mental health promotion experience, including decisive characteristics of the significant conversation partners and different important conversation contexts. The metaphor of feeling at home expresses that the participants ascribe the conversations taking place there as promoting mental health. The themes elucidate the superordinate theme: (a) significant conversation partners characterised by the three subthemes: (i) being available, (ii) being competent and (iii) being caring and (b) rooms reflecting conversation contexts containing four subthemes: (i) room of increased knowledge, (ii) room of disclosure, (iii) room for meeting points and (iv) room for breaks. Conclusion Adolescents with a somatically ill parent perceived that conversations about important topics with significant others with special characteristics in distinct contexts promoted mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Helen Mjøsund
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
- Nina Helen Mjøsund Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, NO3004, Norway
| | - Torill Eide
- University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Drammen, Drammen, Norway
| | - Elin Kufås
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Anne Faugli
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Grethe Eilertsen
- University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Drammen, Drammen, Norway
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Mao P, Yang X, Tan M, Luo A, Jiang S, Guo J, Su J, Wiley J, Xu P, Chen JL. The roles of parental absence, life skills and personality traits in mental health status among adolescents in rural China. J Pediatr Nurs 2022; 64:e15-e23. [PMID: 35125274 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
PROBLEM Mental health issues in adolescents are public health concerns worldwide including China. However, there is a lack of research examining the role of parental absence status, life skills, and personality traits on the mental health of adolescents in rural China. METHOD The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the role of parental absence status, life skills, and personality traits on the mental health of adolescents in rural China. This study used self-developed demographic questionnaire, Mental Health Test (MHT), Middle School Student Life Skills Rating Scale, and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associated factors on different domains of MHT. RESULTS Adolescents in rural China reported high proportion of mental health disorders (MHDs), including learning anxiety, sensitiveness, self-accusation, and physical symptoms tendency. Although 75.6% experienced parental absence, this was not associated with MHT after controlling for all other variables. Better mental health was correlated with life skills including communication skills, interpersonal morality, self-efficacy, and stress coping. The instability-neuroticism personality trait was positively associated with MHDs. DISCUSSION Adolescents in rural China reported high positive rates of MHDs. Communication skills, interpersonal morality, self-efficacy, ability to cope with stress and Instability-neuroticism were important associated factors of MHDs. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE Life skills and personality are two important factors that should be considered when assessing the mental health status of adolescents and formulating interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Mao
- Nursing Department of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.138, Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Xuefeng Yang
- Department of Oncology, Henan Provincial Key Medicine Laboratory of Nursing, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, China.
| | - Minghui Tan
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Aijing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, China.
| | - Shan Jiang
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Jia Guo
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Jing Su
- Nursing department, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Gungdong, China
| | - James Wiley
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ping Xu
- ZiBo hospitals of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, Zibo, Shandong, China.
| | - Jyu-Lin Chen
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Løkkeberg ST, Thoresen G. Experiences of quality of life in people with Multiple Sclerosis who are in a wheelchair. Nurs Open 2021; 9:2217-2226. [PMID: 34053191 PMCID: PMC9190755 DOI: 10.1002/nop2.956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim The study includes health‐related quality of life for people in Norway with multiple sclerosis who live at home and are in a wheelchair (N = 6). The purpose is to show how they experience living with a chronic disease such as MS and how they perceive their own situation. How they value their own health and what leads to positive consequences is central to this study. Design The study has a qualitative design to show what health‐related experiences they had while living with MS. Method The interviews were conducted in their home and later transcribed. An interview guide with open‐ended questions was used. The transcribed material was analysed with a thematic analysis. Results Key themes were being free and independent, threat to the self and one's identity, and adaptation to MS. Free and independent in everyday life was essential for all the informants. Being dependent on others for basic needs was something they sought to avoid. Adapting to the new situation of changing roles was a challenge that required a lot of them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gunnar Thoresen
- Faculty of Health and Welfare, Østfold University College, Fredrikstad, Norway
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Faugli A, Kufås E, Haukland M, Kallander EK, Ruud T, Weimand BM. 'I have cried a lot': a qualitative study on children experiencing severe parental illness. Scand J Caring Sci 2020; 35:1196-1206. [PMID: 33270266 DOI: 10.1111/scs.12938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A considerable body of research has explored implications of severe parental illness on children. However, less is known about what children and adolescents with a severely ill parent experience as the most challenging. AIMS To describe what children with a severely ill parent experience as their most difficult challenge. METHODS A qualitative descriptive design with a manifest content analysis was used on data from a cross-sectional, multicenter study on children of patients in five Norwegian Health trusts. Data consisted of written textual responds from 238 children (age 8-18) to one open-ended question in a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS The overall theme concerning the children's most difficult challenge was named 'the drama of life unfoldment', reflecting the parental illness' impact on themselves, their relationships with others, and their life circumstances. The subthemes consisted of: Children's experiences of difficult thoughts and feelings; negatively impaired relationship with parents, friends and others; and challenging life events and obstacles in welfare. CONCLUSIONS The most difficult challenge experienced by the children with a severely ill parent implies life unfoldment challenges and include negative personal and relational impact, challenging life events and obstacles in welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Faugli
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Elin Kufås
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Magne Haukland
- Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ellen K Kallander
- Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Torleif Ruud
- Division of Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bente M Weimand
- Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
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