Families with children with emotional disorders: a review of the literature

Abstract

This review identifies and explores a body of literature that correlates a child's emotional or behavioral problems with some aspect of the family and a body of literature that considers a wider ecological perspective. This literature is examined in relation to two questions: (1) What do we know about families with children with emotional disorders? and (2) How does that information help us design social policy and social work interventions for these families and their children? The hope for social work research and practice, as well as program and policy development, lies in expanding the ecological work that considers factors related to children's referral for mental health services, parents' perspectives of what they expect from mental health services, and parents' perspectives of their experiences and needs in relation to their child with emotional or behavioral problems.