An Intervention Program for Children of Recently Hospitalized, Depressed
Mothers
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Robert Bennett
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School of Social Work
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Indiana University
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902 W. New York Street Suite 4153
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Indianapolis IN 46202-5156
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317-274-6731
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FAX: 317-274-8630
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bbennett@iussw.iupui.edu
Purpose: When a parent is hospitalized for depression, many
disturbances and disruptions are to be expected for their children.
The objective of this study was to design an intervention to help children
deal with the possible harmful influences of having a depressed mother
who recently had been hospitalized. The goals of the intervention
were to help the child deal with feelings that may arise from hospitalization
of his or her mother as well as to investigate the child's emotional well-being.
Methods: This paper will report findings from the impact
of a group intervention with children aged 8-13. In this study, 37
children whose mothers had recently been hospitalized for depression were
randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=19) or a waiting-list control
group (n=18). The intervention consisted of six 90-minute group sessions.
Each child was measured on four scales at pre-testing, following a 6-week
intervention, and at follow-up 3 months after the intervention. These
scales measured depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and overall behavior.
Results: Differential rates of change between groups were
not found to be statistically significant. However, data collected
suggest that subjects in the experimental group benefited from the intervention.
There was a tendency for the experimental group to perform better at post-testing
on the depression scale than did the waiting-list control group. The intervention
received positive comments from the children. Girls participating
did not fare as well as boys at follow-up.
Implications for Practice: Traditionally, children are
overlooked by professionals at the time of a parent's psychiatric hospitalization.
Social workers are the professionals most likely to be involved with the
family of the hospitalized patient. As such, social workers may be
able to identify and intervene with children at high risk for emotional
or behavioral disorders.