KOPPeling: Help From Your Own Circle

KOPPeling: Help From Your Own Circle

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of the KOPPeling intervention that aims at unburdening COPMI (Children Of Parents with a Mental Illness). COPMI are at risk of overtaking the tasks of their parents when their parents are unable to fulfil such due to their psychiatric condition. By overtaking tasks and the urge to always take care of their parents, COPMI often do not participate in outdoor activities, which are necessary for their socio-emotional development. Moreover, insufficient socio-emotional development and parentification are risk factors for the development of psychiatric conditions.

KOPPeling is an intervention for COPMI families that focuses on activating the social networks of the families. Within KOPPeling, a strategic plan will be developed and carried out with the goal of receiving support from the social network that will overtake tasks of the family to unburden COPMI.

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent does KOPPeling lead to an increase in Quality of Life (QoL) among COPMI?
2. To what extent does KOPPeling lead to an increase in mental health among COPMI?
3. To what extent does KOPPeling lead to a reduction of parenting stress among COPMI parents?
4. To what extent does KOPPeling lead to an increase in outdoor activities among COPMI?
5. How does KOPPeling affect the feelings of guilt of COPMI when engaging in outdoor activities?
6. What pre-conditions are needed to make KOPPeling widely applicable?
7. What are the long-term effects of KOPPeling on the QoL and psychological problems among COPMI and parental stress among COPMI parents?

Participants will participate in the ten-to-twelve-week long KOPPeling intervention. Researchers will compare the intervention group with a waiting list control group to test the effect of KOPPeling on the QoL and mental health of COPMI and parental stress of parents.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The family has children aged 0-18 living at home
• The parental disorder influences the parent's (or parents') ability to carry out several important parental tasks, placing their offspring at risk of taking over these tasks

Exclusion Criteria:

- The family has no existing social network