Research: Parent therapy may help teens at risk of self-harm or suicide

New research has found that parents of teenagers who self-harm or have suicidal ideation can deal better with associated stress by partaking in a 16-week course that includes mindfulness.

The research, titled An evaluation of the skills group component of DBT- A for parent/guardians: a mixed-methods study, is published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine and was conducted by members of the National Suicide Research Foundation.

It said that dialectical behaviour therapy for adolescents (DBT-A) has been effective in treating adolescents for self-harm and/or suicidal ideation. As part of the DBT-A programme, parents attend the weekly skills group with their child.

The study looked to explore the outcomes and experiences of parents who participated in a 16-week DBT-A programme in Ireland. It involved 100 parents or guardians - 76 of whom were women - who had children attending child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Seven teams in CAMHS across Ireland have already been trained in and implement DBT-A in their respective services.

DBT was first implemented in Cork city and county before being rolled out nationally.

Of the 83 people who completed the programme featured in the study, more than half rated it as 'good' and 40% said it was 'excellent'.

Many said the mindfulness was useful for dealing with stressful situations, as well as learning new skills they could use in resolving conflict.

According to the study: "Mindfulness was the most commonly endorsed helpful element identified by parents.

Participants highlighted how mindfulness can be useful for dealing with stressful situations, while also giving themselves ‘permission to take time out for myself and stop focussing on problems’.

As for learning new skills, one parent said: "It gave an understanding of mental illness and how best to react (as a parent) to problems when they arise."

They also welcomed the group sessions. One parent said: "The group sessions gave us time to hear other peoples’ experiences and opinions regarding the programme. It was important to me as a parent to know I wasn’t alone and neither was my child."

Another said: "It was good to be part of a group. That for me was a sense of security. It is very easy to feel isolated and alone when you are dealing with an upset teenager."

However, some parents said the delivery of the course to both parents and adolescents simultaneously did not always work well and said there should be an additional separate forum for parents where they can openly reflect on their experiences without concerns about the impact of their disclosures on their child.

- For more information see www.cambridge.org