"Sylvia Frumkin" has a baby: a case study for policymakers

Authors
Nicholson, Joanne
Geller, Jeffrey L.
Fisher, William H.
UMass Chan Affiliations
Center for Mental Health Services Research
Clinical and Population Health Research
Department of Psychiatry
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1996-05-01
Keywords
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
*Foster Home Care
*Health Policy
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Mental Competency

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Link to Full Text
http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/47/5/497
Abstract
"Sylvia Frumkin" was a pseudonym given to a 32-year-old woman with chronic mental illness described by Susan Sheehan in her books Is There No Place on Earth for Me? This paper presents the case of "Gloria Morrison," a patient similar to Ms. Frumkin, who is also a mother. Issues raised by the case in three areas are discussed. Issues for the service delivery system include developing better assessment, prediction, and reduction of the risk that a parent's mental illness may pose to a child's safety and well-being; targeting supportive and educational interventions to relatives and foster parents caring for children of severely mentally ill patients; and tailoring programs and services to the needs of such patients and their children. Clinical treatment issues include offering treatment options through agencies other than the department of social services; developing protocols for the care of severely mentally ill pregnant and postpartum women; focusing on issues of loss; and providing parenting skills training. Issues in the area of family support include increasing providers' awareness of family burden and alleviating conflicts between the family and patient.
Source
Psychiatr Serv. 1996 May;47(5):497-501.
Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/45589
PubMed ID
8740490
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