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Background: Very few population-based studies have investigated the association between the onset of health conditions/impairments associated with disability and subsequent well-being., Objective: To examine the association between the onset of disability and four indicators of well-being (full-time engagement in employment or education, financial hardship, social support, subjective well-being) among a nationally representative sample of Australian adolescents and young adults., Methods: Secondary analysis of the first eight waves (2001-2008) of the survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia., Results: For financial hardship and subjective well-being, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was no evidence that the onset of disability was associated with a subsequent lowering of well-being. For participation in employment and education, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was evidence of a modest immediate reduction in participation rates followed by subsequent stability. For social support, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was evidence of a modest temporary reduction in support followed by rebound back to initial levels. Membership of classes associated with poorer outcomes was associated with a number of covariates including: male gender; younger age of disability onset; being born overseas; not living with both parents at age 14; lower proficiency in the English language; and parental education being year 12 or below., Conclusions: The results of our analyses illustrate the existence of clear empirically defined trajectory classes following the onset of disability across a range of indicators of well-being., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/aims: Parenting is a critical and complex occupational role, requiring different occupations and abilities depending on the developmental stage and specific characteristics of each child. When a young adult child develops a mental illness, assisting and supporting them to overcome or adapt to the mental illness becomes a crucial aspect of this occupational role to which many parents devote a great deal of time and energy. The way parents respond to mental illness can have an important impact on young people. However, to date, research on these parents has focussed almost exclusively on their characteristics and personal coping rather than what they do to try to assist and support young people. The aims of this study were to identify the occupations parents currently engage in to promote mental health and wellbeing for a young person with a mental illness and to explore the perceived helpfulness of these occupations., Method: Interviews with 26 young people (15-24 years old) and 32 parents were analysed using constant comparative analysis., Results: Participants reported 78 conceptually distinct mental illness related occupations aimed at promoting: appropriate treatment; positive activities and actions; positive thoughts and feelings; and an ordinary life. Importantly, few participants could evaluate with confidence the helpfulness of individual mental illness related occupations., Conclusion: This research demonstrates the breadth of the mental illness related occupations parents employ and provides a framework for understanding their complexities. It highlights the need to establish an evidence base for various mental illness related occupations so that parents can have more knowledge and thus confidence in these critical occupations., (© 2014 Occupational Therapy Australia.)

Objective: To determine the extent to which the lower well-being of young Australians with disabilities could be accounted for by increased rates of exposure to adversity and reduced access to personal, economic, social and community resources., Methods: Secondary analysis of data extracted from Waves 1 (2001) to 8 (2008) of the annual longitudinal survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia., Results: Self-reported disability was associated with significantly lower scores on all indicators of psychological well-being. However, people self-reporting disability were more likely to be exposed to adversity and less likely to have access to a range of personal, economic, material, social and community resources. When these between-group differences in social context were controlled for, the between-group differences in psychological well-being were largely eliminated., Conclusion: Our results suggest that, among younger adults in Australia, the association between disability and lower psychological well-being largely reflects their increased risk of exposure to adversity and reduced access to resources, rather than the presence of health conditions or impairments per se., Implications: Public health interventions aimed at improving the well-being of young adults with a disability need to address the predominantly social determinants of well-being in this group., (© 2012 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.)

Parents' encounters with health professionals can influence their ability to cope with having a daughter with anorexia nervosa. Using qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 24 parents, we examine the question "What support do parents of teenage girls with anorexia want from clinicians?" The analysis shows that parents wanted clinicians to include them in treatment, support and guide them in their daughters' care, and demonstrate positive attitudes toward them. The implications for clinicians are discussed, including being sensitive to parents' vulnerability, ensuring congruence between clinicians' and parents' expectations about treatment, and strengthening formal channels of communication.

Introduction: Throughout the transition to motherhood, changes are experienced across a woman's physical, mental, social, and occupational self. Maternal chronic illness adds the complexity of increased healthcare needs and navigating a high‐risk, medicalised pregnancy, birth, and post‐natal period. Literature concerning motherhood transitions in chronic illness generally focusses on the mother's medical health and pregnancy outcomes; little is known about the impacts on women's occupations, balance, and quality of life. Understanding these issues may help support women in a more tailored and holistic way. Objective: This scoping review aims to gather, analyse, and synthesise existing empirical research on occupational engagement and occupational balance as they impact on wellbeing and quality of life in women with a lifetime chronic illness before and during pregnancy and in early motherhood. Method: The review follows the nine‐stage framework described in the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis (2020). Five databases were searched: Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and OT Seeker. Data were extracted and examined via content analysis, described in narrative synthesis, summarised into a conceptual framework, and tabulated. Findings: A total of 8,655 papers were discovered on initial search. Following title and abstract screening, 220 full‐text studies were assessed for eligibility, and 46 papers were finally included. Analysis generated four major themes: The Disrupted Transition Journey; Adaptation, Compromise and Choice; Outcomes; and Drawing on What's Available. The themes were conceptualised into a framework to explain how women sought to balance motherhood and illness‐related occupations. Adequate access to information, social support, expert care, and financial resources improved both quality of life and healthcare compliance. Conclusion: Findings of this scoping review deepen the understanding of occupational balance during the transition to motherhood in the context of lifetime chronic illness. Healthcare providers and supportive family and friends can use this knowledge to adapt their approach to assisting women with chronic illness on the motherhood journey. These findings may also inform further inquiry into the scope of occupational therapy practice with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses secondary analysis to understand how COVID-19 shaped people's experiences with psychosocial support services in Australia. Data are drawn from questionnaires (n = 66) and semi-structured interviews (n = 62), conducted for a national service evaluation, with 121 people living with enduring mental health conditions and using psychosocial support services. Data relating to COVID-19 were inductively coded and analysed using constant comparative analysis. Most people's experiences included tele-support. While some people described minimal disruption to their support, many reported reduced engagement. People's wellbeing and engagement were influenced by: their location, living situation and pre-COVID lifestyles; physical health conditions; access to, comfort with, and support worker facilitation of technology; pre-COVID relationships with support workers; and communication from the organisation. The findings can help services prepare for future pandemics, adjust their services for a 'COVID-normal' world, and consider how learnings from COVID-19 could be incorporated into a flexible suite of service delivery options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents are a critical resource in supporting young people who live with mental health problems. Qualitative research has identified that parents use a wide range of strategies to provide support. However, parents report being unsure which strategies are likely to be helpful, so often struggle in this role. Presently, little empirical evidence exists to assist parents to decide which strategies are likely to be most helpful. This study aimed to explore the parent‐perceived helpfulness of parental strategies to support young people living with mental health problems. Data were collected from February to July of 2018, using a cross‐sectional, online, anonymous, self‐report survey of participants who identified as parenting a young person (15–24 years) diagnosed with a mental health problem (n = 70). Overall, the strategies perceived as most helpful were practical assistance and personal interactions aimed at promoting positive thoughts and feelings and obtaining appropriate treatment. Least helpful strategies tended to be control‐type strategies, aimed at behaviour change. Overall, there was good alignment between strategies' helpfulness and frequency of use, however, there were exceptions. These exceptions are likely reflections of the specific context of particular situations as well as parental uncertainty regarding alternative strategies. Generally, perceptions of strategies' helpfulness were unrelated to parent or child characteristics. However, helpfulness of strategies was associated with parents' satisfaction with their relationship with the young person. Parents' collective experience‐based perceptions about the helpfulness of strategies used to support young people experiencing mental health problems can be harnessed to inform mental health practitioners' advice to parents and contribute to better mental health outcomes for young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Parents can be an important source of support for young people living with mental illness. Young people have the potential to shape this support to best suit their needs, however little is known about this issue. This paper explores, from the perspectives of young people, how they manage parental support and involvement. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 26 young people (15-24 years old) who were living with mental illness and in frequent contact with at least one parent. These were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Findings: Young people reported shaping parental involvement using a combination of facilitation, compliance and resistance. Their actions were determined by a complex alignment of their wish for parent involvement, perceived potential to influence their parents, and ability to communicate their needs. Conclusions: By understanding these dynamics, therapists working with young people and their parents can help address barriers to achieving optimal parent support for young people experiencing mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fathers are critical in the lives of young people, including those living with mental illness. Fathers' support may be different to that of mothers and is likely to influence the well-being of other family members. However, fathers' support is often seen as 'secondary' and little is known about the nature, diversity and impact of their involvement. This paper explores the parts played by fathers in supporting a young person (15-21 years old) living with mental illness. A modified grounded theory approach was used to perform a secondary analysis of data from in-depth interviews with 32 participants from 14 families: 13 young people, 13 mothers; and 6 fathers. Participants' descriptions of fathers' involvement varied along five dimensions, being the extent to which fathers: directly supported the young person; supported the mother; aligned with the mother; took responsibility for supporting the young person; and needed input from the mother. From comparison of data relating to each dimension across families, four distinct models of perceived father involvement are proposed. These are represented by transport metaphors: co-pilots; captain/first-mate; gondolier; and separate drivers. Father involvement was seen as having an impact on both young people directly and mothers' abilities to support young people. The findings are preliminary given the exploratory nature of the study, but nevertheless highlight the need for helping professionals and researchers to attend to father involvement to facilitate optimum parent support for young people living with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A parent's response to a young person's mental illness can influence their recovery and wellbeing. Many parents devote considerable time and energy to supporting a young person experiencing mental illness and engage in numerous different practices to do so. Yet little is known about why parents use particular practices. This article explores this question through qualitative analysis of parent perspectives. Interviews with 32 parents of young people living with mental illness were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Findings suggest that parents' choice of and ability to carry out particular practices are shaped by: their knowledge and beliefs; their personal resources and constraints; and their social and service networks. Further, parents took active measures to optimize these influences. By understanding the complexity of their own potential influence on both knowing what to do and being able to do it, health professionals can better enable parents to support young adults experiencing mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents of young people with mental illness use a variety of strategies to try to positively influence young people's mental health-related behaviours. Evidence suggests that these parents can influence young people's well-being and mental health trajectories. However little is known about how young people perceive and are affected by the strategies parents use. In-depth qualitative interviews focussing on parental involvement in mental health were conducted with 26 young people with mental illness. The data were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Young people described parents as directly influencing their mental health-related behaviour through facilitative, persuasive and controlling practices. Young people's behavioural and emotional responses to these practices were influenced by when the incident occurred; what they believed about the attitudes and motives behind their parents' actions; whether they agreed in principle with the practices; the degree to which they accepted their parents' authority and anticipated their own increasing autonomy; and whether other support was provided alongside the behavioural practices. Understanding how young people view their parents' influence on their mental health-related behaviour under different circumstances is a vital step towards promoting the best possible parental support for these young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mothers who live with mental illness face diverse challenges. Research suggests that partner support or otherwise is likely to have a crucial influence on mothers' abilities to manage these challenges, yet little is known about how this plays out. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles played by male partners in the mothering experiences of women living with mental illness. Methods: We conducted a qualitative secondary analysis using interview data collected from 18 participants in two previous qualitative studies. Both studies focused on the mothering experiences of women who lived with mental illness. In both studies, the importance of male partners was striking. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Results: The roles of partners in women's experiences of mothering were multiple and dynamic, with each male partner playing a unique combination of roles. These included: facilitator; teammate; unfulfilled potential; distraction; dismantler, and threat to child. Roles were influenced by: mothers' interpretations; partners' behaviors, characteristics and circumstances; the family's living and custody arrangements; mothers' active management strategies; and a range of external controls and supports. Conclusions: Health professionals need to consider the complex roles partners play. This crucial aspect of mothers' social environments can be optimized by directly supporting and enabling partners themselves, and by supporting mothers to actively shape their partners' roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]