This study examined the local needs of individuals accessing an adult community psychology service, using a cross sectional view of those waiting for the service. This service mapping exercise aimed to gather a better understanding of how the service was operating and the local differences in need. The results showed 163 individuals were waiting to access the service, with the majority (131) waiting for the stand-alone service. The different levels of demand resulted in varying waiting times across the service, with the stand-alone bases accruing the longest and the South-East and West areas producing the biggest relative need. Individuals waiting for the CMHT service were more likely to have two or more presenting problems than those waiting for stand-alone psychology (62.5% and 38.2% respectively). Social phobia and bipolar were more prevalent in the CMHT service, in comparison the stand-alone service had a higher percentage of individuals with depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder, however the proportions differed between areas. The second part of the study explored the effect on estimated waiting times of improving access to the stand-alone service by devolving it to local CMHT areas. Waiting times varied according to the resource deployment criteria used; relative need proved the most promising. The proposed advantages and disadvantages of reconfiguration demonstrated the complex implications involved, reinforcing the need for clear rationale when considering service restructuring. In conclusion this project highlighted the need for the service to continue tracking demand and individuals’ needs and keep systematic waiting time information for all parts of the service. The results provided a useful starting point to inform future service development, whilst emphasising the necessity for longitudinal data too.

There are a considerable number of children who fulfil a young carer role for a parent, sibling or relative. Research into the experiences of young carers is growing, and has explored the areas of supporting parents and siblings with physical and mental health difficulties. Although research into the experience of adult carers of individuals with psychosis-related difficulties is well established, the experience of young carers supporting a parent with a psychosis-related difficulty are yet to be studied. The aim of this study was to gain a richer understanding of the lived experience of young carers supporting a parent with a psychosis-related difficulty from a retrospective position. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven adults who were young carers for a parent with a psychosis-related difficulty. The interview transcripts were split into two parts and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Part one explored the experience of caring at the time, with two themes emerging from participant's accounts: 'Feeling isolated and alone' and 'Caring was taking the parent role'. Part two explored the integration of the experience into the current self, with two themes emerging: 'Understanding the experience is an ongoing struggle' and 'Making sense of the person I have become'. The findings are discussed in light of the current research literature and show both areas of agreement and unique insights into the experiences of this particular group. Clinical implications in light of the findings and future research suggestions are also considered.

Rationale and Aims: Research into the lived experience of parenting children with muscular dystrophy has typically addressed key transitions along the disease trajectory, such as diagnosis or end-of-life care. Families reportedly face continuous challenges as their child's health deteriorates. No research has considered accounts of parenting across the lifespan that look at adaptation following their child's death. This research was conducted in the context of a wish-fulfilment charity that offer experiences for children to be supported in activities that are usually deemed inaccessible. In this context, the study asked how do parents who have lost a child to muscular dystrophy story their experiences of parenting. Methods: This research used a qualitative approach that explored the accounts of eight parents interviewed in couples, all of who had experienced the death of their child to muscular dystrophy. The study used a semi-structured interview, lasting from 100-150 minutes each. Interviews were video-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using narrative analysis to explore what and how the parents narrated their experiences. Consideration was given to the social and cultural contexts that shaped these. Analysis: Multiple readings of the transcripts allowed me to develop individual summaries and then construct an analysis across all of the accounts. Three main stories of change, survival and creating change emerged through my analysis. These three stories represented six sub-stories in total: waking up to different futures; being so close, you don't see the deterioration; humour through the struggle; storytelling together; creating a legacy; and living the dream. Findings: Couples narrated the loss of parental dreams, leading to the need for identity (re)formation. Humour and storytelling together were often used to regulate emotions during the storying telling, and a means of surviving their loss. Parents shared narratives of building legacies and the memories created through 'living the dream', which alluded to an impact that surpassed death itself. Implications: These findings suggest the need for greater consideration of sense-making, changing identities, and benefit-finding in clinical consultations, at key transitions during the parenting journey and particularly following the death of a child to muscular dystrophy. Accounts suggest that wish-fulfilment events can sustain hope for parents, a proposition that will need further investigation in the future.

Being the victim of school bullying is associated with many negative outcomes, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, school refusal, and suicide. Peer bystanders are present in the majority of bullying situations and bystander intervention has been found to be very important in ending a bullying incident. However, most of the time bystanders do not step in to help the victim. The present study investigated the impact of parent and family influences on children’s bystander behavior. Seventy-three third- through sixth-grade students were given a questionnaire that asked about their behavior in bullying situations (engaging in bullying behavior, helping or encouraging the bully, defending the victim, or staying away from the situation altogether). Their mothers completed three questionnaires that evaluated symptoms of depression, quality of the parent-child relationship, and parent responses and experiences of anger. Key findings were: (a) parents who were more frustrated with their relationship with their children had children who were less likely to help their peers and were more likely to stay out of the incident. (b) children whose parents were less satisfied with their school were more likely to engage in bullying behavior; (c) the way parents expressed and controlled their own anger predicted whether or not their child would defend a peer; and (d) older children were both more likely to defend their peers and more likely remain uninvolved.

The current study examines interrelations among family factors in a sample of married couples with children in middle childhood. Specifically, this study tested the associations between parents' mental health, marital satisfaction, and provision of a secure base through emotional sensitivity to the child. We further explored bidirectional and moderation effects between spouses. Participants included 86 heterosexual couples residing in the North Texas community. Using the actor-partner interdependence model, multilevel modeling results indicated that both spouse's mental health symptomology and relationship satisfaction are linked to parent's self-perceived ability to provide a secure base; several gender effects were also found. Additionally, actor relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between actor mental health symptomology and secure-base provision. In the context of low actor satisfaction, as the actor's mental health symptomology increases, secure-base provision also increases; however, in the context of high actor satisfaction, as actor's mental health symptomology increases, secure-base provision decreases. Additionally, partner relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between partner mental health symptomology and actor secure-base provision. In the context of low partner satisfaction, as partner mental health symptomology increases, actor secure-base provision increases; however, in the context of high partner satisfaction, as partner mental health symptomology increases, actor secure-base provision decreases. Spill-over, compensatory, and cross-over hypotheses, strengths, limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.