TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents' perceptions of benefit of children's mental health treatment and continued use of services
AU - Horwitz, Sarah
AU - Demeter, Christine
AU - Hayden, Margaret
AU - Storfer-Isser, Amy
AU - Frazier, Thomas W.
AU - Fristad, Mary A.
AU - Arnold, L. Eugene
AU - Youngstrom, Eric A.
AU - Birmaher, Boris
AU - Axelson, David
AU - Findling, Robert L.
PY - 2012/8/1
Y1 - 2012/8/1
N2 - Objective: The authors examined the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, family history, and type of treatment among children receiving outpatient mental health services and parents' perception of treatment benefit. They also examined whether perceived benefit was related to continued use of services at six-month follow-up. Methods: Parents of children age six to 12 years who were first-time patients at one of nine clinics participating in the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study completed the Parent General Behavior Inventory Ten-Item Mania Scale. Parents of children with scores of 12 or higher (N=1,124) were invited to participate in a follow-up study, and 621 agreed. During baseline assessment after the first outpatient visit and at six-month follow-up, the parents were asked about children's sociodemographic and diagnostic characteristics and use of services and asked to rate how much their children had benefited from the most recent outpatient treatment. Results: Data were available for 573 children. At baseline, parents of 167 (29%) children reported that the treatment provided a lot of benefit, and perceived benefit was related to receiving medication (with or without therapy) versus just therapy, higher scores on functioning, LAMS site, no history of comorbid diagnoses, living with both biological parents, and having no parents or siblings with a prior hospitalization for a psychiatric illness. At six-month follow-up, perceived benefit was related to continued use of services (p<.001). Conclusions: Medication with or without therapy was perceived as more beneficial than therapy alone. Perceived benefit was strongly related to continued use of treatment.
AB - Objective: The authors examined the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, family history, and type of treatment among children receiving outpatient mental health services and parents' perception of treatment benefit. They also examined whether perceived benefit was related to continued use of services at six-month follow-up. Methods: Parents of children age six to 12 years who were first-time patients at one of nine clinics participating in the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study completed the Parent General Behavior Inventory Ten-Item Mania Scale. Parents of children with scores of 12 or higher (N=1,124) were invited to participate in a follow-up study, and 621 agreed. During baseline assessment after the first outpatient visit and at six-month follow-up, the parents were asked about children's sociodemographic and diagnostic characteristics and use of services and asked to rate how much their children had benefited from the most recent outpatient treatment. Results: Data were available for 573 children. At baseline, parents of 167 (29%) children reported that the treatment provided a lot of benefit, and perceived benefit was related to receiving medication (with or without therapy) versus just therapy, higher scores on functioning, LAMS site, no history of comorbid diagnoses, living with both biological parents, and having no parents or siblings with a prior hospitalization for a psychiatric illness. At six-month follow-up, perceived benefit was related to continued use of services (p<.001). Conclusions: Medication with or without therapy was perceived as more beneficial than therapy alone. Perceived benefit was strongly related to continued use of treatment.
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U2 - 10.1176/appi.ps.201100460a
DO - 10.1176/appi.ps.201100460a
M3 - Article
C2 - 22660888
AN - SCOPUS:84864697688
SN - 1075-2730
VL - 63
SP - 793
EP - 801
JO - Psychiatric Services
JF - Psychiatric Services
IS - 8
ER -