Rutgers researcher studied 129 adult children with schizophrenia and their mothers
A mother’s attitude toward her child’s mental illness has important consequences for the child’s recovery, according to new research by Beth Angell, an associate professor with the School of Social Work and the Institute for Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers..
For more than a decade, Angell has been studying how people with mental illness live within the community, including the effects of treatment and stigma on their recovery.
Her latest research, a longitudinal study of 129 adult children with mental illness and their mothers, revealed that when moms labeled their children in terms such as “incompetent’’ or “unpredictable,’’ the children with mental illness were more likely to view themselves that way. This was associated with a downturn in functioning and well-being.
But the adult children of parents who appraise them in a positive way fare better over time, according to Angell.
“A large body of work within sociology and psychology suggests that people with mental illness internalize society’s negative attitudes about mental illness and apply those beliefs to themselves,’’ says Angell. “As a result, they withdraw from social interaction and don’t move on with their lives. Researchers call this the ‘why try’ effect. It can be hard to figure out how to decrease it and help increase community integration among this population.’’
The study conducted by Angell and her colleagues suggests that while stigma comes from a variety of sources, including media influences, the attitudes of those close to the individual suffering from mental illness are a potential target of intervention.
By improving parents’ appraisals of their children’s recovery potential, it may be possible to prevent the “self-stigma” suffered by the sons or daughters.
Angell is quick to point out that the study wasn’t intended to blame mom and absolve other caretakers. “Our theoretical framework stresses the importance of anyone of importance to the patient. It wasn’t intended to focus only on mothers,’’ said Angell. But her fellow researcher, Jan Greenberg of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was already doing a study on the experience of moms with mental illness, so they had a ready sample population.
The implications of the findings are important for mental health professionals, not just families. As a professor training social work students, Angell wants her students to help families understand that their children still have the potential to lead fulfilling lives. “Psychiatric treatments have improved over time. We have people with mental illnesses, for example, taking classes at Rutgers and they’re working and functioning. I need to make sure that professionals have a sense of recovery and transfer that to families.’’
Angell’s own mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia but was able to hold down a job and care for her children, with the help of supportive relatives, said Angell.
Parents of people with mental illness are coping with a difficult time and are sometimes unaware of the attitudes they may telegraph, said Angell. “The family might convey messages that you aren’t capable of being the kind of helper around the house that you used to be before you were ill, or you aren’t capable of taking a job because you’re sick,’’ says Angell. “That can feed this ‘mental patient identity.’’’
For families groping for ways to understand schizophrenia, which often surfaces between the ages of 15 and 30, it can be hard to feel hopeful.
“Parents are struggling with the same kind of grief and stress their children are struggling with,’’ said Angell. “Schizophrenia often takes place at a time when they expected their children would be launching their adult lives and finding employment. They might feel that this is not the child they used to have.’’
The anxiety can be fueled by a society filled with stereotyped, inaccurate images of the mentally ill, said Angell.
“Probably the most common stereotype is that mental illness is equated with violence,’’ said Angell. “It’s rare but tragic incidents in the news that increase this perception. By and large, people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence.’’
Angell wants family psychoeducation programs to give parents an honest but optimistic understanding of mental illness and the possibilities for their children. “They can maintain a good life. We need to give them different types of information so parents can carry more hope – and support their children so they can attain that.’’
The study conducted in conjunction with Fred Markowitz from Northern Illinois University and Jan Greenberg from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, were published in the June issue of Social Psychology Quarterly, a journal of the American Sociological Association.