Mental Distress and Resources in Parents to Children With Mental Diagnosis: A Cluster Analysis Study

Theoretical Background: Parents of children with psychiatric diagnoses face a range of stresses and strains, and display varying psychological capabilities to meet these challenges. Currently, mental distress and coping in parents of children diagnosed with mental disorders are not being assessed systematically before treatment. Objective: In the present study, we investigated whether parents of children with mental disorders can be divided into subgroups of characteristic patterns of distress and coping strategies. Furthermore, we compared these subgroups regarding variables like characteristics of their children and their diagnoses and specific aspects of parenting. Exploratively, we investigated the association of specific mental disorders in children with stress and coping in their parents. Method: N = 100 parents of children who had been referred to a specialized child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient unit were recruited. The study took place at the initial psychiatric assessment of the children prior to treatment, We assessed mental distress, coping, parenting style, and parenting conditions using evaluated questionnaires. The subgroups were formed using a k-means cluster analysis based on the three subscales of stress, and the subgroups found were compared regarding further variables: age of children and parents, diagnoses of children and parents (self-report), socioeconomic status, coping strategies and intelligence. Results: Cluster analysis revealed two subgroups with highly significantly different levels of stress, which was true for all three subscales. Higher distress was associated with younger age of parents, a larger proportion of single parents, reduced cooperation in (co)parenting, less coping through social support, and higher abuse of alcohol and nicotine. Based on self-assessment. major depression and anxiety disorders, as well as the presence of any mental disorder, were more prevalent in the high stress group. Mental stress in parents was not associated with specific diagnoses. Discussion and Conclusion: In order to provide viable treatments in child and adolescent psychiatry, mental health care teams should pay particular attention to a vulnerable group of parents who are impaired by a range of stressors and who dispose over a limited range of coping strategies. White these parents might respond welt to initial social support and mental treatment for themselves, a significant proportion of parents shows relatively low stress levels and can become involved in therapy without further preparation. Mental distress in parents or families does not seem to be driven by specific diagnoses or clusters of diagnoses but by other factors. We propose that this should be reflected in the initial diagnostic process by using screening questionnaires covering stress, coping, and mental disorders. Consequently, family treatment might be adapted to current stress and coping capacities in the frame of individualized medicine.