John and Jane grow closer together . They are still working through some of the past hurts and conflicts in the marriage , but things are improving .
Although he has no idea precisely what changed with his parents , Trevor has sensed it , and his behavior has improved . He does not do what his parents ask him to do all the time , but he is more interested in complying with them now that they seem to have a much different aura about them . When Mom and Dad are not upset , Trevor doesn ’ t feel sad or mad . He does not know why , but he feels a little better at home these days .
The Smith family is not alone in their experience . Multiple diagnosis families are common as many mental health conditions carry genetic components . 3 4 5 6 See Figure 1 above :
As the Smith family ’ s story illustrates , integrating multiple family members ’ treatment can lead to synergistic effects that benefit all parties .
Unfortunately , we continue to live in a society that prioritizes autonomy and individualism over the family ’ s role . We treat most patients as an “ illness ,” rather than as members of a family , contributing to each others ’ emotional difficulties and problems . While most child and adolescent psychiatrists tend to integrate family therapy elements into regular follow-up visits with their patients , physicians who treat adults with common mental illnesses ( e . g . depression and anxiety ) often do not involve the family in the treatment . We prescribe Zoloft and move on because Zoloft “ works ” ( at least for the short term ).
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports , “ Unfortunately , families , professionals , and society often pay most attention to the mentally ill parent , and ignore the children in the family . Providing more attention and support to the children of a psychiatrically ill parent is an important consideration when treating the parent .” 7
The mental illness of a parent can dramatically impact the physical and emotional development of a child . Referral to resources that provide multidisciplinary mental health treatment can help prevent children ’ s needs from being ignored .
As a rising tide lifts all boats , multidisciplinary treatment addresses the family as a whole so that not just one – but all – members of the family can find a way to thrive .
* Names changed to protect patient ’ s identities .
Lifetime chance of developing this condition :
If a biological parent has the condition , then your chance is :
If both of your biological parents have the condition :
If your brother or sister has the condition :
If your identical twin has the condition :
Note : The boundaries of engaging in patient relationships with multiple family members are more complex in the field of psychiatry than the majority of other medical specialties . Per the Opinion of the Ethics Committee of the American Psychiatric Association 8 each case must be weighed on a case-by-case basis . Psychiatrists explicitly discuss concerns about boundaries and confidentiality at the beginning of treatment and pay close attention to the potential ethical complications throughout the course of treatment . More specialized Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists have additional training on how to handle issues such as when teens do not want their parents to know about a diagnosis .
References :
MENTAL HEALTH
Bipolar Disorder ADHD Schizophrenia
3 in 100
5 in 100 ( for children ) 4 in 100 ( for adults )
1 in 100
10 in 100 > 50 in 100 6 in 100
40 in 100 > 50 in 100 45 in 100
13 in 100 30 in 100 9 in 100
40-70 in 100 60-80 in 100 40-50 in 100
1 . Jefferies , H ., & Chan , K . K . ( 2003 ). Multidisciplinary team working : is it both holistic and effective ? International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer , 14 , 210 - 211 .
2 . Home . ( 2021 , February 09 ). Retrieved from https :// www . positivediscipline . com /
3 . R . ( n . d .). Does Mental Illness Run in Families ? Retrieved February 4 , 2021 , from https :// www . rethink . org / advice-and-information / carers-hub / does-mental-illness-run-in-families /
4 . Luo , Y ., Weibman , D ., Halperin , J . M ., & Li , X . ( 2019 , February 11 ). A Review of Heterogeneity in Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ).
5 . Nichols , H ., & Legg , T ., Ph . D ., CRNP . ( 2019 , June 6 ). Is ADHD genetic ? Causes , risk factors , and research . Retrieved from https :// www . medicalnewstoday . com / articles / 325594 # is-adhd-genetic
6 . Starck , M ., Grünwald , J ., & Schlarb , A . A . ( 2016 , March 03 ). Occurrence of ADHD in parents of ADHD children in a clinical sample . Retrieved from https :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / pmc / articles / PMC4780663 /
7 . Aacap . ( n . d .). Mental Illness in Families . Retrieved from https :// www . aacap . org / aacap / families _ and _ youth / facts _ for _ families / fff-guide / children-ofparents-with-mental-illness-039 . aspx
8 . Opinions of the Ethics Committee on the principles of medical ethics with annotations especially applicable to psychiatry . ( 2017 ). Arlington , VA : American Psychiatric Assoc .
Dr . Briscoe is the medical director of adult programs and practices psychiatry at Next Step 2 Mental Health .
Kathryn Trudeau is the content developer and instructional designer at Next Step 2 Mental Health . ( non-member )
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