title: The establishment of a therapeutic alliance with parents of psychiatrically hospitalized children.
abstract: In response to the increased use of family therapy as an adjunct to the treatment of emotionally disturbed children, hospital-based social workers are impelled to explore the initial barriers to effective parental involvement. The stresses facing parents at the time of a child's admission include feelings of inadequacy and guilt, as well as fear of separation and loss. The consequences of this traumatic threat to family homeostasis may appear as hostile resistance to cooperation with staff members who potentially represent competitive, more adequate parent surrogates. The social worker, using support, interpretation, and education, bridges the gap between two powerful systems--the family and the hospital. As the preconditions for successful, family-oriented treatment are examined, the chances for creative and skillful social work are maximized.
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010343:Patient Admission; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric; D013315:Stress, Psychological