Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Articles_03

Article Critique 1
1. Title, Author, Date, Where
• Family Leisure among Families with a Child in Mental Health Treatment: Therapeutic Recreation Implications
• Jasmine A Townsend and Ramon B. Zabriskie
• 2010
2. Summary:
• This article talks about the correlation between family recreation and family functioning in families with a child that has been in treatment for mental health. They took a sample of youth ages 13-17 who had been in treatment for mental health and their parents and tested a variety of aspects. This sample came from different ethnic backgrounds, different states and different incomes. The only thing they really had in common was their treatment of mental health. They noticed that the more the family participated in leisure activities together were higher functioning in things like communication and overall trust in each other.
3. Strengths of article
• I thought it was really interesting that they took a sample of youth from different states and incomes meaning they all grew up in different backgrounds. I think this illustrates the point that mental illness can be an effect on any family. I also thought the overall study of this idea was interesting. I noticed that in “The Family: A proclamation to the world” it mentions that successful marriages and families are established on 9 aspects and one of those is family recreation. It is an important part of a family staying together and taking time for each other.
4. Weaknesses of the article
• One weakness I noticed was that they talk a lot about core recreation. I have a basic understanding of this concept, but it seemed a little confusing for me. For someone that is looking to apply this principle in my own family, it would be helpful if they would elaborate a little more on the idea of core recreation. I also wish they would have studied boys instead of just girls. I think it would be interesting to see if one group is more receptive to family recreation than another group or if it works across the family. I think men and women cope with mental illness differently and it would be interesting to see if this was kind of a universal cure. Another thing I didn’t like about the article, was towards the end it made recreation sound a little more like a distraction than therapy. I talked about how taking a family on vacation can just help them forget about the problems at home. So I guess my question is, does it make the problems go away or just make it so we don’t have to face them for a while.
5. Application
• I mentioned above that I wish it would elaborate more on core recreation. I feel like this idea can be helpful to any family. As one studying recreation, it is apparent that it will be an important part of my future family. I feel like no family can know if and when mental illness will creep into their family. If this could be something that is preventive to mental illness, I think any family that has been through this would be first to try it out.
6. Personal interest
• My dad and my sister have always suffered from depression and I have suffered from anxiety our whole lives. I have wondered if there were things that could have been done in my family to stop the pain that has been an apparent part of our lives. I also have read many studies on the heredity of mental illness. If there was a way that I could prevent my future children from going through this trial I went through, I would do it. Something as simple as family recreation seems like a way that I could manage in helping my future family overcome or avoid mental illness. 

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