Child Talks+ – preventive intervention for children of parents with mental health problems
Published
Updated 25-4-2022
- Information update
| Region | Prague |
|---|---|
| Title of the Programme | Health |
| Title of the Project | Child Talks+ – preventive intervention for children of parents with mental health problems |
| Number of the Project | ZD-ZDOVA1-019 |
| Project Promoter | Charles University |
| Project Partner from Donor State | ADHD Samtökin (Island) |
| Czech Partner | E-clinic |
| Status | Estimated project duration: 03/2021 – 08/2023 |
| More Information | Target group: Children and adolescents aged 6-18 affected by parental/carer mental illness Web pages: |
| Total Eligible Costs | 576 279 EUR |
| Grant | 576 279 EUR |
Project description:
The 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, in cooperation with partners, will bring to the Czech Republic and verify the methodology ChildTalks+, which supports the mental health of children and adolescents from families affected by the mental illness of their parents. According to current research, roughly one in six children live in families with parents' mental illness.
These children often suffer in silence from their parents' emotional instability caused by their mental illness, the stigma of psychiatric diagnosis, and the social isolation of the family. Studies show a close link between parents' mental illness and an increased incidence of mental health problems in their children. Lower school success, risky behavior, increased risk of addiction, and lower socioeconomic status, are reported. This is therefore a high-risk group of children who have not yet received attention in the Czech society.
The goal of ChildTalks+ is to prevent the development of psychopathology in these children and help them understand their parents' mental illness. ChildTalks+ was developed in 2008 in the Netherlands, introduced and tested in Portugal and Norway. It contains 4 structured sessions with a therapist. Through medical, social, and school facilities, we will offer participation to 80 families from the Czech Republic with children aged 6-18, in which one or both parents suffer from any mental illness. The specialization of the partners (Czech non-profit E-clinic, z.ú. and the Icelandic ADHD Association) allows us to further adapt the methodology to the specific areas of eating disorders and ADHD in adulthood.
After the training by the Norwegian partner Voksne for Barn, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, addictologists, special pedagogues or social workers can work with the program. We will verify the effectiveness of ChildTalks+ in improving children's mental health by a study based on a research proposal by The Arctic University of Norway.