Date of Award
Summer 8-15-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
PhD Counseling Psychology
Department
Psychology
Advisor
Minsun Lee, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Cristina Cruza-Guet, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Mrittika Sen, Ph.D.
Keywords
Parental mental illness, adult children, master narratives, counseling psychology, narrative identity, social constructionism, family systems
Abstract
The existing literature on children of parents with mental illness has largely focused on developmental risks and psychological outcomes, with limited attention to how these individuals construct narratives of mental illness, family, and self within broader sociocultural contexts. Guided by social constructionism, symbolic interactionism, and the master narrative framework, this qualitative study explored how adult children of parents with mental illness make meaning of their experiences within the sociocultural context of the United States. Utilizing narrative analysis within a critical paradigm, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 adult children who grew up with at least one parent with a mental illness. Findings suggest that participants initially interpreted mental illness through dominant cultural narratives that emphasized individual pathology, instability, stigma, and silence within families. These narratives shaped early understandings of family relationships and contributed to confusion and concealment. Over time, many participants engaged in narrative reconstruction that challenged dominant cultural narratives and facilitated more contextualized and compassionate interpretations of their experiences. The findings highlight the influence of sociocultural narratives on meaning-making and identity development among adult children of parents with mental illness. Implications for counseling psychology theory, research, and practice are discussed.
Keywords: parental mental illness; adult children; master narratives; counseling psychology; narrative identity; social constructionism; family systems
Recommended Citation
McCorkle, Mallory M., "From Silence to Story: Reconstructing Narratives of Mental Illness, Family, and Self Among U.S. Adult Children of Parents with Mental Illness" (2026). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 4486.
https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/4486
