Georg Romer

Children of Somatically Ill Parents: A Methodological Review

The children of seriously ill parents are at risk for emotional disturbances. This review covers five former reviews, three theoretical articles, five case studies and 39 sample studies from the last 15 years. Methodological problems and shortcomings of previously published studies are discussed in detail. Based on former reviews and theoretical approaches, a developmental framework for children’s adaptation processes is elaborated. Empirical studies are analysed with a differentiation of how various results were correlated with the types of parental diseases and children’s age groups studied, as well as with various methodological designs and instruments applied. It appeared evident that children of seriously ill parents had higher scores on symptom scales than did controls, with a tendency towards internalizing symptomatology. In several studies, adolescent daughters of ill mothers appeared to be at highest risk for maladjustment. Ill parents’ subjective perception of their impairment predicted children’s symptoms better than the objective degree of severity of their disease. Although subgroups of children adjusted well, covariant protective mechanisms could not be clearly identified. In conclusion, suggestions for further research include ethical standards, a profound theoretical framework for any hypothesis to be tested, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology, the integration of the child’s subjective dimension by semi-structured or open interviews, and the consideration of coping as a process through longitudinal designs.

Prevalence and Predictors of Emotional and Behavioural Functioning of Children Where a Parent Has Cancer A Multinational Study

This study aimed to evaluate prevalence and risk factors for emotional and behavioral problems in dependent children of cancer patients using a multinational research design.

Rationale and content of psychenet: the Hamburg Network for Mental Health

With the public-funded research and development project psychenet: the Hamburg Network for Mental Health (2011–2014), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research contributes to strengthening healthcare regions in Germany by establishing new trans-sectoral cooperations and implement and evaluate selected innovations. More than 60 partners from research, health care, health industry and government in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg are promoting innovative measures to improve the treatment for mental disorders. The main objective is to implement integrated healthcare networks based on evidence for effective treatment methods, deriving from high-quality research throughout five indications such as psychosis, depression, somatoform and functional syndromes, anorexia and bulimia and addiction illnesses in adolescence. Those networks are accompanied by additional measures, for example, for improving information and education, addressing occupational health or strengthening the participation of patients and their families suffering from mental illness.

Adolescent's stress responses and psychological functioning when a parent has early breast cancer

Objective: To identify factors associated with psychological functioning in adolescent children of early‐stage breast cancer patients.

Evaluation of a Focused Short-term Preventive Counselling Project for Families with a Parent with Cancer

Twenty-four families participated in counselling for families with a parent with cancer (24 mothers, 17 fathers, and 34 children). Parents who received counselling were significantly more depressed before the counselling than a nonrandomized control group who did not receive counselling, but participated in another part of the project. For the parents, there was a significant decrease in depression and increase in family functioning scores from before to after the intervention. For the children, a significant pre-to post-decrease in depression scores was found. Changes in depression and family functioning were significantly correlated with the degree of counselling contentment. Reasons for seeking counselling were insecurity in relation to the children, problems with communication, high level of conflict, and change of roles. A number of themes appeared when parents and children described what they gained from the counselling: Confirmation in being a ‘good-enough’ parent, more understanding of emotions and reactions of other family members, more sense of intimacy and cohesion within the family, and normalization of own feelings.

Gender identity disorder in children and adolescents.

C 1 c w t t T f d d d w c a t G ender identity disorder (GID) has increasingly garnered media attention over the past several years: Ma Vie en Rose (“My Life in Pink,” 997), a sympathetic but realistic story about the ribulations and triumphs of a young transgender child, nd “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999), based on a true story in hich a girl passing as a boy meets a tragic end, ocused on this subject. News articles regarding this opic have appeared in Time, the New York Times, nd Newsweek; ABC’s 20/20 has featured several ransgendered children and their families that can be atched on YouTube. The Atlantic ran a piece on ransgender children, and on May 7-8, 2008 in a wo-part series, National Public Radio also explored he complex issue of the various therapeutic aproaches to GID, including the controversial topic of uberty-delaying therapy for preteens struggling with ID. As a result of this increasing media coverage and esearch indicating that cross-gender interests and ehavior are not rare (see below), families who have oncerns about a child’s gender identity development re increasingly likely to bring their child to the ttention of the pediatrician or others taking care of hildren. Pediatricians may be the first to be called on when arents have concerns about their child’s atypical ender behaviors. These are often not the chief comlaint for the encounter but are brought up toward the nd of an office visit, or the so-called “out-the-door” uestion. Alternatively the parent may wait to see if

Mental health problems in children of somatically ill parents, e.g. multiple sclerosis

ObjectivesBased on the investigation of 144 families (144 patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), 109 partners, and 192 children) examined in three different European child and adolescent psychiatric University centres by means of questionnaires, we evaluated the prevalence of psychological symptoms in the offspring and associated risk factors such as duration and severity of the disease as well as depression of the ill and the healthy parent.ResultsIndicate that the severe disease of MS is associated with depression of the ill and healthy parent. Ill parents, especially ill mothers, as well as depressed ill, or depressed healthy parents evaluate their children’s mental health problems with a higher prevalence within the internalizing spectrum. Healthy parents report normal psychological adjustment of their children. If two parents present a depressive state, the prevalence of relevant psychological internalizing symptoms is twice or three times as high as the age norms.ConclusionChildren in families with a parent affected by MS and associated depression of the parental couple are at high risk of mental health problems, especially internalizing disorders. In focusing on the mental health of children one must also be aware of the potential opportunities to address the parents’ own psychological needs.

Psychological distress in cancer patients with underage children: gender-specific differences.

Findings on gender differences in the psychological distress of cancer patients have been inconsistent. The objectives of the current study were to examine whether being a parent differentially modulates anxiety and depression in men and women and to compare whether psychological distress differs in male and female patients with and without children.

Use and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients: a population-based sample of patients with minor children.

Cancer patients and their minor children have been shown to experience psychological distress. The objectives of the current study were to 1) describe the need for and use of psychosocial support and 2) determine predictors of family‐centered support use in patients with minor children.

German Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Reliability, Validity, and Cross-Informant Agreement in a Clinical Sample

BackgroundThe psychometric properties and cross-informant agreement of a German translation of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) were assessed in a clinical sampleMethods102 children and adolescents in outpatient psychotherapy and their parents filled out the SCARED and Youth Self Report/Child Behaviour Checklist (YSR/CBCL).ResultsThe German SCARED showed good internal consistency for both parent and self-report version, and proved to be convergently and discriminantly valid when compared with YSR/CBCL scales. Cross-informant agreement was moderate with children reporting both a larger number as well as higher severity of anxiety symptoms than their parents.ConclusionIn conclusion, the German SCARED is a valid and reliable anxiety scale and may be used in a clinical setting