Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39581628›Full record

SynthesisFamily process2025

Experiences of parents of children with mental illnesses: A systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis.

Suzanna Greally, Jeppe Oute, Susan McPherson

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Family process, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Suzanna GreallySchool of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2188-8163
Jeppe OuteDepartment of People and Technology, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4918-511X
Susan McPhersonSchool of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9478-9932

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In this paper, we present a qualitative meta-ethnographic synthesis of 26 articles reporting experiences of subjective burden in 389 parents of children with mental illnesses. The studies were identified through a systematic literature search of PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, and MedLine Ultimate. We conducted a quality appraisal and followed the seven stages of meta-ethnographic synthesis. We developed a line of argument synthesis in the form of a model that depicts the subjective, temporal, and psychological experiences of parents. The model proposes a cyclical process characterized by five stages, each depicting a transitional point in which parents re-evaluate their experiences: caring for an intimate stranger; turning point; unavoidable role; uncertain future; transcendence. This model highlights the complex psychological processes that parents endure when caring for a child with a mental illness. The review highlights several methodological issues in this field of research, including issues related to sampling, poor reporting of data analysis, limited critical appraisal, and a lack of reflexivity. Future research should address the gaps in the literature while also attending to the issues that have been highlighted by this review.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersParentsAnthropology, CulturalChildHumansParent-Child RelationsQualitative Researchcaregiver burdenliterature reviewmental illnessmeta‐ethnographic synthesisqualitative research

Identifiers

PMID39581628
PMCPMC11803131

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.