'Let's Talk About Children' Family Focused Practice for Children of Parents with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

Journal BMC Psychiatry

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Jan 3

PMID 38166946

Authors

Lingzi Xu

Zhi Sheng

Tianhang Zhou

Chenmei Xie

Xun Wang

Wufang Zhang

Tingfang Wu

Petra Gronholm

Dafang Chen

Hong Ma

Graham Thornicroft

Lili Guan

Xin Yu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: 'Let's Talk About Children' is a brief family focused intervention developed to improve mental health outcomes of children of parents with mental illness (COPMI). This study aims to assess the efficacy of LTC in improving mental health of children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in China.

Methods: The planned study is a multicentre parallel group randomized wait-list controlled trial. A total of 400 eligible families with children aged 8 to 18 years will be recruited, 200 each for families with parental schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The intervention group will receive Let's Talk About Children delivered by a trained therapist, while the control group will receive treatment as usual. The primary outcomes are child mental health measured by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire and parent-child communication measured using the parent-adolescent communication scale. Parental mental health and family functioning are secondary outcomes. This study also plans to explore mediating factors for the effect of Let's Talk About Children on child mental health, as well as conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis on using Let's Talk About Children in China.

Conclusion: The present study will provide evidence for the efficacy of Let's Talk About Children in families with parental schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in China. In addition, it will evaluate potential mechanisms of action and cost-effectiveness of Let's Talk About Children, providing a basis for future implementation.

Trial Registration: ChiCTR2300073904.

Citing Articles

The ParentingWell Practice Approach: Facilitating implementation in U.S. adult mental health services.

Heyman M, Nicholson J, English K Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15:1377088.

PMID: 39011337 PMC: 11247391. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1377088.

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