1. "The validation is not enough": Australian mothers' views and perceptions of mental health support from psychologists in private practice.
- Author
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Cooper, Charlie, Tchernegovski, Phillip, and Hine, Rochelle
- Subjects
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ATTITUDES of mothers , *SOCIAL support , *PSYCHOLOGY of mothers , *RESEARCH methodology , *PSYCHOLOGISTS , *MENTAL health , *INTERVIEWING , *FAMILIES , *PARENTING , *LABOR supply , *QUALITATIVE research , *NEEDS assessment , *MEDICAL practice , *EMOTIONS , *MENTAL illness - Abstract
Up to one third of adults who receive mental health services in Australia are parents. Psychologists in private practice are one of the largest groups within the Australian mental health workforce who support parents experiencing mental ill-health. Parents have specific support needs relating to their parenting role and "treatment as usual" may not address their integrated parenting and mental health concerns. The service experiences of parents in this setting have not been studied. This qualitative study addresses this knowledge gap through investigation of the experiences of Australian mothers who received support from a psychologist in private practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 mothers and interviews were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Three overarching themes were identified in relation to (i) participants' need to feel understood and heard as a parent, (ii) their need for a nonjudgmental therapeutic space and (iii) their desire for practical parental support from psychologists. These findings corroborate the value of family-focused practices when supporting parents with a mental health condition. The results include ways in which family-focused practices have been incorporated by clinicians in private practice settings which may have application in other mental health service contexts. What is already known about this topic: Psychologists in private practice make up a substantial group within the Australian mental health workforce who support parents with a mental health condition. Parents who receive mental health care in tertiary mental health settings report a lack of dedicated parenting support and resources. Family-focused practices are effective in supporting parenting and recovery for parents with a mental health condition who receive mental health care in tertiary mental health settings. What this paper adds: Psychologists who support parents in private practice should collaborate with their clients to identify which aspects of their parenting may be relevant to the therapeutic work and provide targeted support for parenting difficulties. Most participants expected that their psychologist would provide targeted support for parenting difficulties, and they felt disappointed when this did not occur. The lived experiences of parents with mental ill-health in private practice psychology services are highlighted, addressing a key knowledge gap in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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