| Who Was Jean Piaget?Jean Piaget was to cognitive | | | | 1990). There remains a strong misconception that |
| development as Albert Einstein was to physics. In | | | | mentally ill parents are violent and are therefore at an |
| fact Einstein was afan of Piaget's work. Jean Piaget | | | | increased risk for abusing their children. While this |
| was born in Switzerland on Aug. 9, 1896. He published | | | | may be true for alcohol and drug abusers, it is not |
| his first scientific paper at the age of 10. By the age | | | | true for parents with psychiatric disorders getting |
| of 22 he already had a doctorate in zoology. He | | | | treatment.Still, for these reasons many people are |
| became interested in psychoanalysis after WWII and | | | | afraid of getting the help that they need. They are |
| attended lectures given by Carl Jung. He then studied | | | | afraid their symptoms may give the impression that |
| in Paris working in Alfred Binet's child psychology lab. | | | | they would be an unfit parent. If they are seen as |
| It was there that he first began to notice that | | | | unfit they could lose their children. Therefore families |
| children of the same ages answered true/false | | | | may not receive the services they need to raise |
| questions similarly.He returned to Switzerland and | | | | healthy children. Thus a vicious cycle begins.Warning |
| spent many years studying and conversing with | | | | SignsThe following is a list of symptoms that could |
| children. He realized through his conversations that | | | | indicate that children are not dealing well with a |
| when asked a question a child did not necessarily give | | | | parent's mental illness. Mind you, these are also signs |
| an incorrect answer just because the answer wasn't | | | | for other causes such as trouble in school, peer |
| an adult response. They instead gave logical answers | | | | pressure, sexual problems, abuse, relationship |
| based on the knowledge that they had within them. | | | | problems, substance abuse, a change in |
| He concluded that if adults try to teach children to | | | | circumstances at home and a host of other issues. |
| quickly that it prevents them from reinventing it | | | | Still, I felt they were worth mentioning. If you notice |
| themselves, thus making it their own.His career | | | | any of these things in your children over a continual |
| spanned nearly 75 years and he is credited with | | | | period for 3-4 weeks, please seek help for them. |
| developing several new fields of science including | | | | Never turn a blind eye and think that the problem will |
| developmental psychology, cognitive theory and | | | | solve itself.*moodiness |
| what later became genetic epistemology. Without | | | | *bad temper or irritability |
| him, some of today's modern methods would have | | | | *crying a lot |
| never come about. Many of his theories are still the | | | | *sleeping problems |
| basis for modern child development including the | | | | *lying |
| "Theory of Knowledge Construction." This theory is | | | | *not talking to people or going out with friends |
| based upon the principle that when a child comes into | | | | *eating more or less than usual or skipping meals |
| contact with a new piece of information, his mind | | | | *giving up hobbies |
| must understand it in a way that fits his current view | | | | *arguing |
| of the world. If it doesn't fit the mold then the child | | | | *feeling lazy, bored or tired |
| will re-construct their knowledge so they can | | | | *stealing or getting into trouble |
| assimilate the new information. It is much like | | | | *not looking after themselves (hygiene) |
| constructing a building - you cannot start with the | | | | *low self-esteem |
| top, you must build the foundation first and then | | | | *acting recklessly |
| develop up from the base.Four Stages of Cognitive | | | | *drinking alcohol or using drugs |
| Development in ChildrenLet's take a minute to get a | | | | *skipping school |
| feel for Piaget's 4 stages of cognitive development in | | | | *preferring to be aloneHow Children are Affected - |
| children. Remember, he spent most of his life | | | | Risk or Resilience?As seen above in Jean Piaget's |
| studying and interacting with children and I think his | | | | "Theory of Knowledge Construction," children are |
| theory makes a lot of sense.Stage I: Sensorimotor | | | | only capable of understanding things if they have the |
| (Infancy)Infants learn about the world around them | | | | knowledge from the preceding level of development. |
| through sensation and movement. The focus at this | | | | At each level they can be affected either adversely |
| stage is on motor and reflex actions. They take a | | | | or positively by their interactions with their parents - |
| great interest in the faces and voices of caretakers. | | | | regardless if the parent has a mental illness or not. |
| Parents can aid in their development by making | | | | The challenge here is the capability of mentally ill |
| faces, talking and singing to their little ones.Stage II: | | | | parents to provide what is needed at each stage. |
| Preoperation (Toddler & Early Childhood)This stage's | | | | (This is where you want to go back and re-read the |
| main focus on the child's intellectual development is | | | | section on the 4 stages of cognitive development.) It |
| language and using symbols (e.g. words and pictures). | | | | is up to us as parents to provide them what is |
| The child will act intuitively at this stage. They have | | | | needed and as a mentally ill parent that becomes |
| active imaginations and vivid fantasies. It is not | | | | quite a challenge.Now, research clearly indicates that |
| uncommon for the child to personify objects, thus | | | | parental mental illness increases the risk of the child |
| giving toys and dolls human like qualities. Parents | | | | developing emotional or behavior problems. (I'm |
| should take the time to help them learn language and | | | | leaving out genetics here since it is a different issue.) |
| promote their imaginations ,as well as pay attention | | | | Children with the most serious emotional |
| to how they play with objects.Stage III: Concrete | | | | disturbances, served by systems of care across the |
| Operation(Elementary & Early AdolescenceDuring this | | | | U.S., report high rates of parental mental illness, |
| stage children start to process abstract concepts | | | | psychiatric hospitalizations and substance abuse |
| such as numbers and relationships. Before a child | | | | (Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services |
| could only manipulate things physically. Now they | | | | for Children and their Families Program, Annual Report |
| begin to be able to manipulate them mentally as well. | | | | to Congress, 1998). This report shows nothing of the |
| To do this they need concrete examples or they will | | | | relationship between the age of a child and their |
| not | | | | exposure to parental mental illness. Some feel that if |
| understand the concept. A child's development | | | | children are exposed repeatedly at a young age their |
| should focus on giving concrete examples of | | | | risk is higher. However, some studies have failed to |
| ideas.Stage IV: Formal Operation (Adolescence & | | | | find conclusive results regarding age or developmental |
| Early Adulthood)This is the stage where children | | | | stages in regards to their level of risk (Oyserman et |
| begin to reason logically and analytically without | | | | al.; Weissman, 1989).Stressors outside of the family |
| needing concrete examples as before. Children are | | | | detrimentally affect children of parents with a mental |
| now capable of hypothetical and deductive reasoning. | | | | illness. Stressful issues that increase the likelihood of |
| Encouraging young people to consider multiple | | | | emotional or behavioral problems are minority status, |
| possibilities will help their development at this stage.All | | | | low levels of education, stigma, single parenthood, |
| of these stages represent areas of opportunity or | | | | social isolation and poverty (Biedel & Turner, 1997; |
| risk of failure when it comes to helping your child get | | | | Hammen et al., 1987; Harnish et al., 1995; Sameroff & |
| through the world. This task is tough enough for two | | | | Seifer, 1983). These types of issues are difficult at |
| parents who are normal by societies standards. | | | | best for a child to cope with but when you add in a |
| Throw in a parent who suffers from a mental illness | | | | mentally ill parent the problem is simply compounded |
| and you face a much greater challenge. This is the | | | | massively.The gender of the child also appears to |
| reason I started with the 4 stages of development - | | | | play a roll in how they react to a parent's illness, |
| so that parents could see areas that they could | | | | although there is conflicting evidence in how exactly. |
| reach out to their children in an appropriate way and | | | | Some studies show that girls are more adversely |
| affect them in a positive manner.Some General | | | | affected and some feel that it is boys who have a |
| Statistics~*~Almost 1/3 of American women and 1/5 | | | | worse time coping. Studies have shown, however, |
| of American men provide evidence of psychiatric | | | | that girls are more prone to develop depression and |
| disorder in the past 12 months. Of these women, | | | | boys are more likely to exhibit conduct problems |
| 65% are mothers; 52% are fathers.~*~Women and | | | | (Cummings & Davies, 1994).It is well documented |
| men with mental illness are at least as likely, if not | | | | that children with greater intelligence, better social |
| more likely, than those without psychiatric disorder to | | | | skills and stronger cognitive processes have been |
| become parents.~*~The majority of adults falling into | | | | shown to be more resilient to their parental mental |
| psychiatric diagnostic categories (affective | | | | illness (Beardslee & Podorefsky, 1988; Radke-Yarrow |
| disorders,anxiety disorders, PTSD, psychotic | | | | & Sherman, 1990.) Cognitive skills such as a positive |
| disorders, etc.) are parents.~*~1 in 4 American | | | | and coherent self-concept, a positive attribution style, |
| families are affected by parental mental illness.Why | | | | effective coping and problem solving abilities have |
| Parents Don't Seek HelpOne of the biggest reasons | | | | been associated with positive outcomes among |
| that adults don't seek assistance for their mental | | | | children in general and specifically among children with |
| problems is due to the stigma that is still attached to | | | | depressed mothers (Beardslee & Podorefsky, 1988; |
| having a mental illness. Unfortunately many people still | | | | Downey & Walker, 1989; Radke-Yarrow et al., |
| do not view mental illnesses as a medical problem but | | | | 1995)Terry J. Coyier is a 37-year-old college student |
| as a personal flaw or weakness in the person. You | | | | studying for an Associates of Applied Sciences |
| still hear the mentally ill referred to as "crazy," "loony," | | | | degree. She is also a freelance writer who writes |
| "nuts," "psycho," or even worse terms.One of the | | | | about bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. |
| other reasons for not seeking treatment is that | | | | Terry was diagnosed with bipolar ten years ago. She |
| mental illness is the primary reason for custodial | | | | lives with her son in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. |
| challenge. Some studies have reported as many as | | | | Terry is an author on which is a site for Writers and |
| 70-80% of parents with a mental illness have lost | | | | her personal portfolio can be viewed here. |
| custody of their children due to their illness (Burton, | | | | |