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Description
The 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, in cooperation with partners, will bring to the Czech Republic and verify the methodology ChildTalks+, which supports the mental health of children and adolescents from families affected by the mental illness of their parents. According to current research, roughly one in six children live in families with parents'' mental illness. These children often suffer in silence from their parents'' emotional instability caused by their mental illness, the stigma of psychiatric diagnosis, and the social isolation of the family. Studies show a close link between parents'' mental illness and an increased incidence of mental health problems in their children. Lower school success, risky behavior, increased risk of addiction, and lower socioeconomic status, are reported. This is therefore a high-risk group of children who have not yet received attention in the Czech society. The goal of ChildTalks+ is to prevent the development of psychopathology in these children and help them understand their parents'' mental illness. ChildTalks+ was developed in 2008 in the Netherlands, introduced and tested in Portugal and Norway. It contains 4 structured sessions with a therapist. Through medical, social, and school facilities, we will offer participation to 80 families from the Czech Republic with children aged 6-18, in which one or both parents suffer from any mental illness. The specialization of the partners (Czech non-profit E-clinic, z.ú. and the Icelandic ADHD Association) allows us to further adapt the methodology to the specific areas of eating disorders and ADHD in adulthood. After the training by the Norwegian partner Voksne for Barn, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, addictologists, special pedagogues or social workers can work with the program. We will verify the effectiveness of ChildTalks+ in improving children''s mental health by a study based on a research proposal by The Arctic University of Norway.
Summary of project results
The project has helped children whose parents have a mental illness, which puts the children at high risk of developing their own mental health issues and a higher incidence of risky behavior. Prevention and early detection of mental health problems are therefore crucial. A challenge was recruiting families during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which was linked to reduced operations and subsequent overload of psychosocial services.
Project promoter (PP) translated and printed the ChildTalks+ manual, adapted materials explaining symptoms of various mental illnesses to parents and children, and printed brochures for parents and children. PP also offered participation in the project to over 100 psychosocial service organizations in the Czech Republic. 20 of these organizations expressed interest in training their staff. Final beneficiary conducted 4 therapist training sessions, and the trained therapists worked with families. In total, project promoter trained 64 therapists who can continue to use the ChildTalks+ methodology even after the project ends, making it available for further use in the Czech Republic. PP offered participation to a total of 176 families for whom ChildTalks+ was indicated. Final beneficiary also conducted an evaluation study following the model protocol from The Arctic University of Norway. Project team presented the project at 4 conferences and on the project''s website, www.childtalks.cz. Together with partners, project promoter published a research paper in theBMC Psychiatry Journal.
The project supported the well-being of children and parents from families affected by parental mental illness. 68 parents and 73 of their children completed ChildTalks+ (141 individuals). Parents rate the program as highly beneficial, leading to a significant increase in perceived parental competencies. Therapists report that the program helped identify mental issues in children that would have otherwise gone unresolved and aided parents and children in understanding each other''s needs better.
The implementation of the preventive program ChildTalks+ into practice in the Czech Republic significantly contributes to preventing the escalation and chronicity of mental health issues in a high-risk group of children and adolescents whose parents have mental illnesses. The project has supported early intervention for children''s mental difficulties, parental competencies, and family well-being. Professionals from various services use ChildTalks+, enhancing accessibility for the target group.
Summary of bilateral results
Experiences from the implementation process were shared with Voksne for Barn, and their expert trainer, the author of the ChildTalks+ methodology, conducted training sessions for therapists from the Czech Republic, Norway, and Iceland.Collaboration with The Arctic University of Norway focused on consulting for the evaluation study and co-authoring publications, with plans to continue this work in the future.ADHD Iceland was highly active during the early stages of the project. Icelandic therapists received training, but the organization and its partners in Iceland faced significant challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to staff layoffs. Despite these difficulties, they successfully met the partnership agreement requirements and key indicators. The methodology has been translated into Icelandic and is now ready for further use in Iceland.Project partners actively participated in the conference held in Prague and attended project meetings. Thanks to the expertise provided by the partners and shared experiences with the methodology and work with families with specific diagnoses, methodological materials have been developed for use by current therapists. These materials also enable the training of new therapists after the project''s conclusion.One of the joint outcomes of the project is the publication of a scientific article in BMC Psychiatry, and further publications are being developed beyond the project''s end.