Promotion of a Positive Parenthood in Families of Adolescents who suffer from Mental Health Problems

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a project with a twofold aim. Firstly, to contribute to the knowledge about the competences and support needs experienced by families of adolescents with mental health problems, both reviewing the available literature and studying the specific competences and needs experienced by these families in our context. Secondly, to obtain information to design an intervention programme to support and promote positive parenthood in these families. From the information presented can be drawn that this project is in accordance with the national and international recommendations that urge a change from deficit models to a strength-based perspective of family assessment and intervention. Likewise, the presented project provides a new intervention framework to improve the quality of life of these families. It resulted from a coordinated effort that, using a multi-method and multi-informant approach, integrates the contributions of experts, the knowledge and views of mental health professionals and the experiences and perceptions of adolescents affected by mental health problems and their families.