Munich: “Kidstime” helps children when their parents are mentally ill – Munich

Breaking the taboos on mental illness and stress – that’s the goal of “Kidstime”. This is a new, free project by Diakonie Hasenbergl, which has been aimed at children and their parents who are suffering from mental stress or illness since the beginning of 2022. The social worker Claudia Mattuschat is the coordinator of the project and estimates that around 79,000 children in Munich experience a parent’s mental illness every year. In the exchange with colleagues, paediatricians and therapists, the Diakonie Hasenbergl noticed how important it is to offer families the opportunity to exchange views on mental illnesses. And above all: find child-friendly words for it.

SZ: Ms. Mattuschat, why do you offer “Kidstime” specifically in the Hasenbergl?

Claudia Mattuschat: We have noticed that many people who come to us for advice are also mentally stressed: by the ongoing pandemic, by the Ukraine war and the uncertainties associated with it. This is not only the case in our social area – I would say that other counseling centers are also aware of it. We offer “Kidstime” because we have noticed that communication within the family about mental stress and illnesses needs to be strengthened.

Does that mean both parents and children can take part in your workshops?

Exactly. Our offer is aimed at families with children from the district of Feldmoching-Hasenbergl, where one parent has a mental problem or illness. There are no age limits with us – families with small children as well as those with young people can take part. Parents do not have to show us a diagnosis when registering. It’s enough for a mother or father to say: “I’m mentally stressed and that’s affecting my children.”

What do you mean by mentally stressed and mentally ill?

There are very different phenomena. In Germany, depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses. This is also reflected in our clients. However, parents can also be psychologically stressed due to a work situation. It becomes difficult when a family is very much in crisis and does not fit into the group structure at all. For example, if someone has psychotic episodes – that can be an exclusion criterion for us, but it has not happened so far.

How can you imagine the process?

We meet every first Friday of the month in the Pfarrer-Steiner-Zentrum in Hasenbergl. We currently have around nine families participating in our offer. I lead the workshops together with three colleagues from the outpatient educational support and the social psychiatric service of the Diakonie Hasenbergl. We start around 4 p.m. with group games to loosen up the atmosphere. After that, everything revolves around the topic of mental stress and illnesses. We notice that the topic is often associated with feelings of shame and guilt. People talk about physical illnesses, but not about mental ones – we want to change that. My colleagues and I try to prepare the topic in such a way that children can also understand it well.

How do you do it?

A model in which the children are supposed to imagine a filter that sits between the body and the brain has proven very effective. We record it and look: What happens when this filter is broken and it can no longer sort out feelings properly? With such images we try to explain what is happening in the mind and body and why, for example, a depressed father is tired and sad so that he can no longer take care of his child properly.

Does it continue after that?

After that, the parents have the opportunity to talk about how they deal with mental stress or illness – my colleagues moderate the whole thing. In parallel, we have the children’s group, who are also invited to talk about their current situation. Based on what has been said, we use a tablet to shoot a short film in each session – this is shown after we eat pizza together. Finally, we go into joint discussion and invite parents to tell us how they experienced their children in the film and what that has to do with their family life.

What are the movies about?

It’s different every time. For example, we recently had a film that dealt with the topic of depression. A kid wanted to do something about Asterix and Obelix. Then we thought about what this has to do with our group. A boy said: The Obelix could have depressions! It then went on to the point that Miraculix was the psychotherapist with his magic potion and Asterix accompanied his friend there. A story develops from such ideas, which the children develop. And even if only fiction is taken up, we can often see parallels to what the children go through in their lives.

Doesn’t it get boring for the children in the long run if a film is shot every time?

Children have a keen interest in creative expression and enjoy being collaborative screenwriters. The films so far have always been fun and also shown a variety of possibilities. I don’t think we’re in any danger of getting bored any time soon. This is also shown by the “Kidstime” workshops, which have been running for many years, especially in the Bremen area.

What are the current challenges?

The biggest challenge is that parents and children have to get involved in “kidstime”. For example, we once had a family in which the child was not even aware that an illness was present. When the parent talked about it, it was funny for the child because it had never been discussed. This means that parents should talk to their children about their situation in advance so that they understand the point of participating. For example, you could say to your child: Hey, I’ve discovered a group and I think that’s good for us. Because you know that I don’t feel so good every now and then.

You meet with the families once a month – is that enough?

No, a family in which one parent is mentally stressed or ill should always seek further treatment. Our goal is: Families should have a good time, in which they can laugh with each other and have the opportunity to talk openly. “Kidstime” can provide explanations, but it can’t do everything.

What does the future of the project look like?

As a prevention offer, we are funded in equal parts by the social department and the health department. In the fall, the annual budget planning meeting will take place again in our Diakonie Hasenbergl. We are very confident that we will continue to receive the funding. This is important, because we have found that mental illnesses and stress are not decreasing, but rather increasing. So the need for “kidstime” will continue.

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