The utility of the Family Model in mapping psychiatric nurses' family focused practice with parents who have mental illness, their children and adult family members in Ireland
Anne Grant
Queens University Belfast
I am currently employed by Queen's University as a lecturer in Mental Health in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Previously, I was employed by the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin. I completed my PhD at Monash University in Australia and explored psychiatric nurses' Family focused practice (FFP) in Irish mental health services. My primary research interests are early interventions for families when parents have mental illness, conceptualisation of FFP and workforce capacity in relation to FFP. Currently I am PI for a study commissioned by the HSCB in Northern Ireland that aims to evaluate the impact of Think Family initiatives on health and social care professionals' FFP. I also contribute to several international and interdisciplinary projects led by a group of researchers who are interested in parental psychopathology. The aim is to promote systems change and workforce initiatives in the field of parental psychopathology.
Abstract
Background Parental mental illness is a major public health issue. Various governments recommend services adopt a whole family approach when supporting families where a parent has a mental illness. As Falkov’s Family... [ view full abstract ]
Background
Parental mental illness is a major public health issue. Various governments recommend services adopt a whole family approach when supporting families where a parent has a mental illness. As Falkov’s Family Model is increasingly used as a framework to promote a whole family approach in services, it is important to examine its utility in mapping psychiatric nurses’ practice.
Aims
This study aimed to (i) explore the utility of the Family Model as a framework for mapping psychiatric nurses’ family focused practice, (ii) determine whether components of the model were employed more in some workplaces (i.e. hospital [acute in-patient units] versus community settings) and (iii) consider why this might be the case.
Design
A qualitative study design was utilised to elicit data.
Methods
A purposive sample of 14 psychiatric nurses from eight mental health services in Ireland completed individual semi-structured interviews in 2013. Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Ethics Research Committee at University College Dublin and from Directors of Adult Mental Health Services.
Analysis
The analysis was inductive and presented as thematic networks.
Findings
Participants’ practice included some key model components including supporting service users’ dependent children as well as practices not outlined in the model, such as supporting adult family members. Differences were found in community and hospital settings; nurses’ practice in community settings was more aligned with the Family Model than nurses’ practice in hospital settings.
Conclusions and implications
The findings indicate that the Family model adequately reflects psychiatric nurses’ family focused practice and may be a useful framework for guiding future practice. Supportive organisational cultures and child and family focused education are required to promote psychiatric nurses’ family focused practice, particularly in hospital settings. Further research might explore the utility of the Family Model in mapping allied health professionals’ (i.e. social workers, psychiatrists) family focused practice. Moreover, as the Family Model is increasingly used to promote a whole family approach in services, further research could explore its capacity to guide practice.
Authors
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Anne Grant
(Queens University Belfast)
Topic Area
Topics: Mental Health
Session
MH2 » Mental Health 2 (10:30 - Thursday, 10th November, Seminar Room 0.54)
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