Children's experiences of living with a parent with mental illness: A systematic review of qualitative studies using thematic analysis

Introduction This paper brings together what is known about what it is like for children who live with a parent with a mental illness with a view to strengthening our understanding of their experiences. This paper presents an update on previous reviews that were completed in this area and used a systematic approach and stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria to ensure that the voices of children were central in the included papers. A systematic review of this nature could not be located in the literature. Aims This paper presents the findings of a systematic review which explored the experiences of children who were affected by parental mental illness. Methods CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO, Pubmesh and EMBASE were searched for qualitative studies which explored children's experiences, and eight studies were included following review and quality appraisal. Pertinent data were extracted, coded and analysed using a thematic approach. Results Four themes emerged from the analytic process which described the children's understanding of mental illness, their relationship with their parents, their coping strategies and their social connections. Implications for Practice Mental health nurses need to recognize the psychosocial needs of children, and to acknowledge, the wider impact mental illness has of the family.