A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERCEIVED CHANGES WITHIN THE CAREGIVER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP DUE TO CHILD’S MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

Abstract

Previous research has documented that in their facilitative role of helping children receive mental health services, caregivers are impacted in their daily, interpersonal/social, and emotional functioning. However, despite the significant challenges faced by caregivers, there is a dearth of research that examines how caregiver-child relationships are impacted due to the child’s mental health treatment. This qualitative study examined caregivers’ perception of changes that occurred in their caregiver-child relationship due to the mental health treatment received by their child. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of children receiving pharmacological or counseling treatment for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), recruited through purposeful, criterion sampling. Transcribed interviews were analyzed utilizing reflexive thematic analysis with various measures in place to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. Four themes that reflected perceived changes in the caregiver-child relationship were inductively generated from the data: emotional valence, shift in focus of interaction, accepting impact of child’s mental health symptoms, and seeing hope in child. These findings expand existing literature regarding the complexity of caregivers’ experiences when coping with a child who has mental health symptoms.