Supporting children who have a parent with a mental illness in Tyrol

Children who grow up with mentally ill parents (according to international studies one in four) have an increased risk of developing (mental) health problems themselves. This is also associated with extensive social costs. The AIHTA was a partner in a project of the Ludwig Boltzmann Society and the Medical University of Innsbruck, as part of which a prevention programme ("Village Programme") was developed and evaluated in a participatory manner.

In order to recognise children at an early stage, psychiatrists and general practitioners were trained to ask their patients whether they have children using a short screening tool. Affected families who were interested in support then worked out an individual support plan, accompanied by a coordinator, involving people from the family's social network and (if necessary) professional providers. The feasibility study involved 30 out of almost 100 families referred via the screening process. The baseline data of the participants show a considerable burden on the children and parents (e.g. regarding health status, stigmatisation or children taking on parental responsibility). The data after participation in the programme indicates improvements in the health of children and parents, knowledge and communication about mental illness, the parent-child relationship and the willingness of parents to accept support.

Overall, the programme is feasible, but some adjustments (e.g. more time for individual components) and measures to increase the referral and participation rate are required. One limitation is that this was an exploratory study without a control group, which means that no clear conclusions can be drawn about the (cost) effectiveness of the programme, although clearly positive trends were observed. The study confirms the urgent need for action to support affected families at an early stage. This requires cross-sector co-operation. Prevention and early intervention in connection with mental illness should be given a higher priority. However, further research is needed.