Parent mental health literacy needs in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the qualification of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Loading...
Files
Date
2024-08-28
DOI
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Massey University
Rights
The Author
Abstract
The current study is situated within the context of increasing rates of mental distress amongst young people in Aotearoa New Zealand (Fleming et al., 2020; Ministry of Health, 2018; Ngā Pou Arawhenua et al., 2020); challenges with meeting demand for mental health services (Elliott, 2017; Skirrow, 2023); and the global Covid-19 pandemic impacting on both population mental health and service access. This research aimed to explore the mental health literacy needs of parents and caregivers of children aged 5-10 years in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to develop a framework for a podcasting intervention to increase parent mental health literacy.
Albeit drawing on a small number of studies, systematic review evidence suggests low levels of mental health literacy amongst parents of children aged 5-10 years (Johnson et al., 2023). These studies have focused on the recognition of child mental illness without investigating mental health literacy as it relates to promoting positive mental health of a child, an equally important construct when determining overall mental health (Keyes, 2002, 2005).
Reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with 11 practitioners who work with parents and caregivers of primary school aged children established that parents could benefit from further knowledge related to child mental health in a number of areas. These included: general parenting knowledge (such as knowledge of child development and the importance of the parent/caregiver-child relationship and parental wellbeing); understanding of behaviour and emotion; and knowledge pertaining to help-seeking for mental health difficulties. Practitioners perceived a proposed mental health literacy resource for parents of children of primary school age to be valuable, and considered podcasting to be a feasible mode of communicating knowledge to parents and caregivers.
The findings of the qualitative research are discussed in the context of the relevant literature which informed the development of a framework for a podcasting intervention for parents and caregivers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Feedback from practitioners suggested they perceived the proposed podcast to be a feasible, acceptable and useful resource for parents and caregivers. Further consideration needs to be given to the specific content of some of the proposed episodes and how to develop the intervention further so it is appropriate for Māori and Pasifika families. Learnings from the research process and outcomes, plans for the next phase of the development of the resource, and areas for future research point to the next steps in supporting mental health literacy in parents to further enhance wellbeing in young people.
Description
Keywords
parent mental health literacy, child mental health, podcast