Scholars from multiple fields have shown that parents raising a child with mental and behavioral health concerns (MBHC) need additional support. We need parents to self-identify necessary supports as a basis for intervention planning.
Objectives:
In this study, we examined what parents say they need from professionals to support their families.
Methodology:
Occupational therapy faculty and students employed a strengths-based coaching approach to conduct a focus group with five parents. We conducted qualitative thematic analysis and used inductive coding to identify themes related to unmet self-identified needs of families. We refined themes through an iterative process and achieved 93% agreement after three rounds of coding.
Results:
Four themes emerged from the transcript analysis: External Control, Internal Competence, Relating to Others, and Role of Self-Care.
Conclusion:
Professionals must consider the unique needs identified by parents who have children with MBHC when planning interventions within our education and health care systems.
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