Parental mental illness and their offspring's mental health in Rwanda : case study of cares Butare.

Abstract

The identification of the link between the parental mental illness and their offspring’s mental health was studied respectively in CARAES Butare and Sovu village, Republic of Rwanda. An experimental group made up of eighty (80) children whose at least one of the parents was mentally ill including 31 males and 49 females (aged between 12 and 40) and a control group made up of eighty (80) children including 31 males and 49 females (aged between 12 and 40 participated in this cross-sectional study. The parents of the control group (160, 80 males and 80 females, aged between 45and 65 years) participated also to the study. They were tested and didn’t present significant symptoms of mood disorders, PTSD and anxiety disorders. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD, α: 0.82), Posttraumatic stress disorders scale (PTSD, α: 0.73) and Test of psychological problems (TPP, α: 0.93) were used. The cut offs were used to determine the significance of psychological problems. The t test of children was used to assess the differences between the experimental group and the control group. Results revealed significance differences between the two groups on Depression symptoms (means=150.96 and 17.88, t=43, p=.000), on Psychological problems (means=150.96 and 119.06, t=6.79, p=.000), and on PTSD symptoms (means= 61.39 and 33.18, t=17.83, p=.000). A regression analysis showed that parents’ psychotic disorders seemed to affect offspring's mental health (β=0.22, t=2.03, p=0.04), explaining 5% of the psychotic disorders variance in offspring. Among children whose parents were mentally ill, there were significant correlations between anxiety symptoms and depression , PTSD symptoms and eating disorder, domestic violence and PTSD , aggressive behaviour and PTSD , somatoform disorders and PTSD. A regression analysis showed that parents’ psychotic disorders seemed to affect children' mental Health in children. Demographic variables didn’t explain the symptoms of depression and PTSD, nor psychological problems among children whose parents were mentally ill. These findings suggest taking into account the assessment of parents’ mental illness when taking care of the children’ psychological disorders.