At-risk Families with Mental Illness: Partnerships in Practice

Abstract

Parents with a mental illness have faced many difficulties in fulfilling their occupational role of parenting. A lack of targeted interventions and collaboration between mental health and welfare services has had negative consequences for these parents and their children. Occupational therapists have a role in selective prevention with high-risk groups. There is a need to focus on determinants, risk and protective factors affecting mental health and to apply this knowledge in developing prevention strategies. Preventative interventions have the potential to improve the mental health of the mother and the child. This article discusses an Australian programme for parents with a mental illness with a focus on partnerships to support the family unit.