Being the child of a patient detained in a secure hospital
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the experience of having a parent who is, or who has been, a patient in a secure hospital
IRAS ID
232035
Contact name
Sarah Elizabeth Argent
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 28 days
Research summary
Children, as described by UNICEF (1990), are dependent on “adults for the nurture and guidance that they need to grow towards independence…. [and] when primary caregivers cannot meet children's needs, it is up to society to fill the gap”.
Primary caregivers’ ability to provide such nurture may be compromised by a range of difficulties. Parents who become patients detained in secure/forensic psychiatric hospitals have severe and usually chronic mental disorder(s) and often a history of serious violence. The parent's detention in a secure hospital also mandates a period of separation from their child.
There is little literature on even the numbers of children likely to be affected by a current or previous admission of one of their parents to a secure psychiatric hospital, and nothing capturing their experience or related needs. Given the range of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), especially 'household challenges' (Anda et al 2010), that these children likely face, it is imperative that we learn about these children’s subjective experience. Furthermore, if these children are thriving despite the challenges, insights around their resilience can be acquired.
The research will comprise a one off interview of an adult aged 'child' whose parent is, or has been, a patient in a secure psychiatric hospital. The interview will be very open initially, as this area has not been explored before, and we do not want to impose any preconceived assumptions or unduly influence the content elicited. There will then be more structured questions to generate a rounded, more complete, picture. Finally, the participant will be asked whether they feel that they would have been able to take part in such an interview at a younger age. Future research would ideally capture these younger children’s experience in a contemporary manner.
Relevant references in section A12.
REC name
Wales REC 1
REC reference
18/WA/0073
Date of REC Opinion
8 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion