Supporting Families Through Critical Transitions

What’s This All About?

When a teen comes home after a psychiatric hospital stay, families often face uncertainty, stress, and too little guidance. My dissertation, The PATCH Study (Parents and Adolescents in Transition from Care to Home), explores how families navigate this sensitive time — from hospital discharge to reintegration at home and school.

Why It Matters

• 1 in 4 adolescents is readmitted within a year after psychiatric hospitalization.
• Caregivers are often left in the dark, managing complex emotional and logistical transitions.
• Disclosure decisions — about whether to share a teen’s mental health history — can impact access to support, but stigma often stands in the way.

What I’m Doing

I’m interviewing caregivers to better understand:

• What help families actually need during the transition home.
• How caregivers decide what to share about their teen’s mental health.
• Where systems support — or fail — families.

Why I Care

This work is deeply personal. With experience as both a special education teacher in a psychiatric hospital and a family member supporting a loved one through mental health challenges, I know these transitions can be overwhelming. I want to help make them smoother, safer, and more supported.

What’s Next?

In coordination with Auburn University, the PATCH Study aims to:

• Improve discharge processes.
• Empower families.
• Help schools, hospitals, and communities work better together.

Interested in participating? aub.ie/ThePATCHstudy

Study QR Code