Parents of children with mental health problems may experience stigma when the ideals that matter most to being considered a “good parent” are perceived as not being met, according to preliminary research led by Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators. Discussions with a group of these parents are helping inform new approaches to supporting parents and restoring more positive feelings about parenting skills when faced with a child’s mental health struggles.
The study, published online on Oct. 6 as a special article in Psychiatric Services, identified qualities that may contribute to parents feeling more secure and respectable in raising their child, including emotional support, open communication, boundaries, and role modeling. The researchers suggest that supporting parents in fulfilling these qualities can help parents feel less self-blame and stigmatization for their child’s mental health problems.
Dr. Tim Becker
