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Early interventions for children whose parents have a mental illness, comprising the provision of age-appropriate information about mental health, positive coping strategies, and meaningful social and emotional connections, are identified as preventive interventions for childhood health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CHAMPS (Children and Mentally Ill Parents) peer support program that is designed to connect, support and educate this cohort of children and their parents/carers. The CHAMPS program was reviewed and co-designed by clinicians, parent participants, peer workers and children in 2017 and 2019. The revised modularised program incorporates peer facilitators and shared lived experience as a way for participants to build understanding of their own experiences and strategies for coping. Children, parent/carers and program facilitators were interviewed for this study. This paper presents findings from interviews conducted with 8- to 12-year-old children (N = 20) who completed CHAMPS; parents/carers (N = 17) and program facilitators (N = 10). Children reported that the program lessened isolation and feelings of self-blame for their parents' struggles; and parents reported benefits from supported communication with their children in explaining their diagnosis and in understanding the needs of their child. It was concluded that early intervention peer support programs for children can have multiple positive impacts on the family, highlighting the importance of psychoeducation and improved family communication, as well as connections to peers for supporting families where parents have a mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine prevalence of smoking, quit ratios, and home smoking rules among Hispanics residing in colo­nias in El Paso, Texas. Methods: Face-to-face interviews with 1485 Hispanic adults. GeoFrame™ field enumeration methods were used to develop a sam­pling frame from households in random­ly selected colonias. Results: The overall percent of current cigarette smoking was 14.6% (95% CI 12.4 to 16.8); Over 55% of smokers reported a serious quit at­tempt. Participants overwhelmingly re­ported that smoking was not allowed in their homes. Conclusions: Prevalence es­timates for current smoking and restric­tion in the home were similar to those reported for recent national surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]