A pilot study of a family-centered intervention for mothers with serious mental illnesses and their children

The maternal role and child rearing responsibilities of women with serious mental illness are often overlooked, with unfortunate consequences for their illness trajectories and prognoses, and negative impact on outcomes for their children. Family Options is a family-centered program for parents with serious mental illness and their children, being piloted in the context of a psychiatric rehabilitation clubhouse agency in Marlborough, MA. Baseline data confirm the multiple, complex challenges faced by mothers, whose predominant self-reported psychiatric diagnoses include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder; almost 80% have been psychiatrically hospitalized; ¾ have been physically and emotionally abused. At baseline, mothers report severe psychiatric symptoms, and poor functioning. Pilot outcome data on well-being, functioning, supports and resources are available from 22 mothers participating in the intervention and 46 of their minor children living at home, at entry into the program, 6- and 12-months. Comparison group data are available from 25 families receiving services as usual at the same time, in an adjacent catchment area. Preliminary analyses of 6-month data from intervention and comparison group participants suggest trends are emerging in a positive direction. Mothers participating in Family Options improved significantly on all major outcomes in spite of a significant worsening in reports of physical functioning. Twelve-month data are being analyzed. Qualitative data regarding mothers' perceptions of their experiences with and the impact of participation in Family Options on themselves and their children complement the quantitative analyses and findings, and provide for the description of “appropriate” (i.e., “best-served”) program participants.