Thrive Center Working Paper Series: Family Mental Health
The Thrive Center’s inaugural Working Paper Series consists of three papers that provide complementary perspectives on one of the most pressing challenges in children’s wellbeing: family mental health. Grounded in the principle that children’s emotional health cannot be understood in isolation from the adults who care for them, these papers make the case for a fundamental shift — away from symptom-focused, fragmented approaches and toward systems- and relationship-based solutions that support the entire family.
The bundle includes an introductory overview from Thrive Center Director Matt Biel laying out the vision behind the series and three resources: 1) a policy paper examining opportunities to advance family-centered mental health care through innovative reimbursement structures, workforce solutions, and regulatory frameworks; 2) a research paper synthesizing evidence on the bidirectional relationships between parent and child mental health and identifying gaps to guide future investigation; and 3) a practice paper highlighting programs across the country that are putting family mental health principles into action — from pediatric primary care to diverse community settings.
Together, these papers are designed to bridge the gap between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, and to spark dialogue and action across the communities working to support children and families.