Implementation of the Patient Activation Measure for Mental Health for Pediatric Parents

Abstract

Problem & Purpose: There are risks of developing psychiatric disorders in children of parents with mental health diagnoses. Interventions are needed to address the parents needs and decrease the risk of children being diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Parents who are motivated to participate in their mental health care have better outcomes, with a positive effect on their children’s care. While psychotherapy may be beneficial for many mental illnesses, not everyone benefits to the same degree and patient motivation is a crucial requirement for successful therapy. The purpose of this project was to screen parents of children being treated in the clinic with the Patient Activation Measure for Mental Health (PAM-MH) to identify parents who are motivated to enter a program to improve their own mental health. Parents were screened and placed in one of four activation levels. The results may be used to tailor treatment to the specific child. Methods: A tool to identify patient motivation, the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), was introduced in 2004.The PAM was adapted for use in people with mental health conditions with development of Patient Activation Measure for Mental Health (PAM-MH) and it has been demonstrated to be a valid, reliable, and accurate measure of patient motivation. The PAM-MH is licensed by Insignia health and a research license was granted for this project. The screen consists of 13 questions administered by a licensed therapist. It takes approximately 10 minutes. The screen was scored by Insignia and one of four activation levels was applied for therapy use. Results: There were 299 parents eligible for screening. During the project 104 were screened. There were 31 males, 83 females, 71 natural parents, 31 guardians, 17 white, 79 black, and 6 other. At project end, 34.8% percent were screened and assigned activation levels. Conclusion: The project demonstrated that parental screening for activation is possible. The screen identified 38% parents in the 2 highest levels of motivation. Parents in higher levels of motivation are activated to assist in their therapy and referral to therapy would be of benefit. These findings further supported the project as a viable concept.