My task is only to give a positive opinion of these 2 discussions from my classmates about this Title.. In total, I need 2 replies ( each of 200 words ) The 2 discussions are these:
Discussion # 1 :
In many ways, the lives of parents of children with persistent mental illness are more complex than those without such conditions. Depressive symptoms are experienced by moms of children with mental disorders at rates two- to three times higher than mothers of typically developing children. Most of these issues result from social and cultural barriers, stigma, and a lack of understanding surrounding mental health issues (Fisher et al., 2021). Because of these obstacles, mental illness is not treated with the same level of acceptance as physical diseases, and families dealing with cases of mental illness are subjected to excessive discrimination, which in turn causes family members, especially parents, to experience significant amounts of stress and other mental health problems (Chen et al., 2019). The difficulties women already face daily in caring for their children—aggression, suicidal thoughts or actions, and other undesirable changes—are exacerbated by the variables the mother mentions. A family’s social network is crucial in helping these parents cope. Social support may be delivered by a nurse or through social networks or personal interventions, all of which have varied degrees of efficacy.
The results of consulting experts in fields like nursing might take several forms. Decreased parental sadness and stress are one positive outcome for families when a kid lives with a mental disorder requiring long-term care (Chen et al., 2019). Professionals streamline how families with special needs children can access essential support services. Accessing these treatments is a source of significant anxiety for most parents of children with persistent mental problems. Healthcare providers, like nurses, maybe an excellent resource for parents by informing them about advocacy services, such as behavioral and developmental therapy programs. Assisting parents in this way reduces their burden and enhances their quality of life. When parents need help for their kids, they shouldn’t struggle to get it. In addition, parents of children with chronic mental illnesses may acquire the coping methods they need to manage their children’s varying behavioral patterns with trained professionals. This aspect ensures the highest level of care for the kids and helps them thrive.
However, the efficiency of social assistance to parents of youngsters with persistent mental disorders via personal ties and social networks varies widely between districts (Fisher et al., 2021). One advantage is that these parents may feel less alone in their experiences. Parents of children with mental health problems may find themselves isolated because they spend so much time caring for their children. Anxiety and stress may be compounded when parents put their children’s needs ahead of their own, as Bradshaw et al. (2019) report. Parents of mentally ill children benefit significantly from social support systems. As a result, parents can help mentally ill children in their care. Having supportive interactions with other people is equally crucial for the mental health of parents of chronically sick kids (Bradshaw et al., 2019). The parent and the ill child’s mental health may suffer if they have strained connections with other family members.
In conclusion, caring for a child who has a mental illness may be very taxing on a person’s mental and physical health, therefore having a strong social network is crucial. Family members of those who suffer from mental health issues may prove to be an additional, useful resource, according to studies. The social support parents get from friends, family, and professionals greatly improves their capacity to care for their child.
References
Bradshaw, S., Bem, D., Shaw, K., Taylor, B., Chiswell, C., Salama, M., … & Cummins, C. (2019). Improving health, wellbeing and parenting skills in parents of children with special health care needs and medical complexity–a scoping review. BMC Pediatrics, 19(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1648-7
Chen, L., Zhao, Y., Tang, J., Jin, G., Liu, Y., Zhao, X., Chen, C., & Lu, X. (2019). The burden, support, and needs of primary family caregivers of people experiencing schizophrenia in Beijing communities: a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2052-4
Fisher, M., Newton, C., & Sainsbury, E. (2021). Mental Health Social Work Observed. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003193968
Discussion # 2:
Families that have children living with mental illnesses require social support. Research has shown that chronically ill children may have costly needs that families may not be able to afford in the long term. This means that the quality of life of the families and their children may be affected by a lack of funds to provide the care needed (Ren et al., 2020). This may raise the stress levels and anxiety of parents as they do not know what will happen to their children in the long term (Svavarsdottir, Gisladottir, & Tryggvadottir, 2019). The implication is that those families require social support that comes from their family members as well as from the nurses.
Both nurse-led support and support from personal networks are effective types of support. Both are geared towards getting the best interests of the child and reducing the emotional and financial burden that is experienced by the family. Nurses dealing with the care of such children can be at the forefront in providing guidance to the parents on how they should go about the care process (Ren et al., 2020). This is in addition to helping the parents deal with the stress that comes with taking care of such children. What is evident from the analysis is that without professional support, parents may not be able to know if their children are making any progress or not as the nurses have a duty to provide the parents with all the necessary information (Svavarsdottir, Gisladottir, & Tryggvadottir, 2019). On the other hand, social support from the parent’s social networks is also important as it may come in the form of financial input that may help the parents provide for the needs of the children. Consequently, social support is important in dealing with the emotional burden that the parents may feel from taking care of their ill children. The other way that care and support may be important is in helping the parents take care of the sick children especially when they are engaged in other activities that are equally important.
The discussion allows one to attain the student learning outcomes. in particular, one is able to critique the conceptual models that are used in nursing and important in informing nursing practice. In this discussion, I was able to comprehend the role of nurses in providing support for families that have children dealing with mental health problems. This allowed me to fully comprehend how professional support can be applied in practice in order to ensure that those families are able to provide their children with the care needed for them to have a quality life and recover from the challenges.
References
Ren, J., Li, X., Chen, S., Chen, S., & Nie, Y. (2020). The influence of factors such as parenting stress and social support on the state anxiety in parents of special needs children during the COVID-19 epidemic. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 565393.
Svavarsdottir, E. K., Gisladottir, M., & Tryggvadottir, G. B. (2019). Perception on family support and predictors’ of satisfaction with the healthcare service among families of children and adolescents with serious mental illnesses who are in active psychiatric treatment. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 32(1), 6-15.
