GUILT, BLAME, AND RESPONSIBILITY: THE EXPERIENCES OF PARENTS AND CLINICIANS PROVIDING SERVICES TO ADOLESCENTS WITH CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CHALLENGES

The purpose of this study is to understand and describe the experiences of parents of, and clinicians who provide services to, adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges, particularly as they relate to issues of guilt, blame, and responsibility. The study is based in a theoretical framework derived from Symbolic Interactionism (Blumer, 1969), Attribution Theory (Heider, 1958), and Barrett`s (1995) Theory of Guilt and Shame. The guiding question the study is: What are the experiences of parents of adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse challenges and clinicians who provide treatment services around issues of blame, guilt, and responsibility, and how do those experiences shape their collaboration? Twenty three participants engaged in in-depth interviews. The results have been analyzed using a phenomenological approach to qualitative research. The results of the study have been organized within four domains. The first domain, Sources of and Impact of Guilt and Shame was comprised of three themes: (a) Parents experience of guilt related to their behaviors, (b) Parents` experiences of guilt has a serious impact on families, and (c) Guilt and shame felt by parents shaped the therapeutic process. The second domain, Being Blamed and Blaming Others, was comprised of two themes: (a) Feeling blame from every direction and (b) Parents blaming others. The third domain, Potential Pitfalls and Strategies for Success included three themes: (a) Anticipate issues of blame and guilt, (b) Inclusion and exclusion of parents in the therapeutic process, and (c) Clarify the process. The fourth domain is Training and Theoretical Orientation Issues, consisting of two key themes: (a) Theoretical orientation shapes practice with parents and (b) Importance of training specifically focused on working with families. Strengths and limitations of the study, along with implications for clinical practice, social work education, and future research, are discussed

Partnership Process Guidelines: Social Work Perspectives on Creating and Sustaining Real-World University-Community Partnerships

The authors, representing community practitioners, faculty, students, and administration, collaborated to produce guidelines for university-community partnerships that reflect social work’s commitment to social justice in practice, education, and research. The respective experiences and voices of the authors contribute to a wider perspective on the explicit social justice implications of partnership formation for community-based participatory research, which is a vision shared by many disciplines. These guidelines introduce a communication outline that may augment the creation and maintenance of thriving university-community partnerships across multiple disciplines that promote social justice

Daily life or diagnosis? Dual perspectives on perinatal depression within maternal and child health home visiting

This study describes a qualitative inquiry-informing program development in a maternal and child home visiting program. Low-income women\u27s perceptions of the meaning and experiences of depression were ascertained through focus groups and interviews. Simultaneously, the study examines staff member perceptions and roles related to depression. Specific findings from clients and staff reveal culturally situated beliefs about depression and stressful life events; comparing and contrasting these beliefs offers a novel perspective on identification and intervention for maternal depression. This study offers a foundation for a translational research agenda that will be used for program and policy development to enhance mental health services situated within maternal and child health home visiting programs. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

From Every Direction: Guilt, Shame, and Blame Among Parents of Adolescents with Co-occurring Challenges

This article explores the results of a qualitative inquiry into guilt, blame, and shame as experienced by parents of children with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. These interviews represent both the lived experience of parents, as well as the perspective of clinicians who work with these families. The parent–clinician alliance is taken as a central context for considering how these experiences may affect the dynamics of the helping relationship. Analyses of these results suggest that guilt, blame, and shame are often experienced by parents and have important implications for engagement and therapeutic processes. Parents associate feelings of blame with interactions from a number of helping professionals and connect personal characteristics, parenting behaviors, and relationship issues with experiences of shame and guilt surrounding their children’s behavioral health challenges. Finally, the information that is shared across these interviews is used to guide the development of a number of practice guidelines for social workers who work with families of adolescents that experience co-occurring mental health and substance use issues

Approaching Parental Guilt, Shame, and Blame in a Helping Relationship: Multiple Methods for Teaching and Learning

Social workers often feel ill-prepared to effectively engage parents in conversations about guilt, shame, and blame related to their children’s mental health or substance use challenges. To address that problem, we suggest that specific content should be integrated into social work courses to teach students how to acknowledge and sensitively manage these issues in their practice with families across cultures and family forms. Content, activities, and assignments are offered, built around three learning strategies (enhanced lecture, case-based learning, and experiential learning) to help students build therapeutic relationships based on a deep appreciation of parents’ emotional experiences