Authors' objectives: To conduct an evidence synthesis of the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of community-based interventions for improving QoL in children of parents with serious mental illness (SMI).

Authors' recommendations: Evidence for community-based interventions to enhance QoL in children of SMI parents is lacking. The capacity to recommend evidence-based approaches is limited. Rigorous development work is needed to establish feasible and acceptable child- and family-based interventions, prior to evaluating clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness via a randomised controlled trial (RCT). A substantial programme of pilot work is recommended to underpin the development of feasible and acceptable interventions for this population. Evaluations should incorporate validated, child-centred QoL outcome measures, high-quality cost data and nested, in-depth acceptability studies. New age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by children of parents with SMI may need to be developed.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/hta18080/#/abstract

URL for additional information: http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/volume-18/issue-8

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme

Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK

Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Copyright: 2014 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO