TITLE:
Preventing Psychosocial Problems and Promoting Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents Struggling with Parental Depression
AUTHORS:
George Giannakopoulos, Chara Tzavara, Gerasimos Kolaitis
KEYWORDS:
Children, Family, Mental Health Promotion, Parental Depression, Prevention
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Depression,
Vol.4 No.2,
May
29,
2015
ABSTRACT: Parental depression has a devastating impact on family life and children’s social adjustment and mental health and little information exists as to how parental depression is associated with children’s health-related quality of life. The present paper describes the research protocol of a Greek randomized clinical trial, examining the effectiveness of two preventive interventions (a family intervention and a psychoeducational discussion with parents) for families struggling with parental depression. An important question in this research is what factors can better predict the improvement of child outcomes in these families. Another issue of special interest is to explore the association of children’s health-related quality of life with parental mental health symptoms and to examine to what extent each intervention can have a positive impact on this domain. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with depressive disorders and their offspring aged 8 - 16 years old are randomly assigned to the two intervention groups and they complete a series of questionnaires prior to interventions and 4, 10 and 18 months after intervention. This study will offer an evidence base for developing relevant initiatives in a national level and for integrating preventive actions for child mental health in routine clinical practice with adult depressed patients.