Breaking barriers, building bonds: Helping families to overcome intergenerational mental health challenges

This study introduces a novel approach by integrating multi-disciplinary treatments
from both adult and child mental health services to target the entire family, with
the possibility to incorporate professionals from other involved services to target
environmental problems. We have provided a theoretical underpinning for this
integrated family approach in mental health care treatment which was established
in practice, with the aim to help parents and their young children to break the
cycle of intergenerational transmission of mental health issues. Based on this study,
by analyzing the literature, expertise and experiences of professionals using this
approach, and experiences of patients who have undergone this approach in their
treatment, this study offers professionals and mental health organizations a model
of the key elements of success. Furthermore, an overview is given of the domains
with risk and protective factors to intervene in when helping parents to prevent the
intergenerational transmission of problems and mental disorders. It is not possible
to recommend a standard treatment program that is appropriate for all families.
This study demonstrated that almost all families who had undertaken this integrated
treatment had a complexity of problems that necessitated an integrated approach
to treatment. Significant and clinically relevant improvements of the quality of
the parent-child interactions, parental perceptions of their parenthood, and the
child’s upbringing were found by finishing treatment in the majority of cases,
with mixed results on improvements in parental mentalization. In the literature,
these aspects are shown to be important in the process of transmission of mental
disorders between parents and their young children. Our findings indicated that
an integrated family approach contributes to helping parents and their children
in diminishing the risk of intergenerational transmission of mental disorders and
adverse outcomes.