Consulting with young people about service guidelines relating to parental mental illness

Information from children of parents with a mental illness was specifically sought in the development of a key document for the Australian Government regarding good practice principles and guidelines for services and people working with these young people and their families. This paper describes one of the consultation phases where young people in the 7 to 20 year age range were asked to comment, via focus groups and peer interviews, on issues raised in an early version of the document. The participants gave suggestions regarding ‘family friendly’ mental health facilities and services and supports that would benefit families and children affected by parental mental illness. The young people reported that additional care-giving responsibilities, communication problems (with service providers and between families), lack of appropriate practical and emotional support (for the person with the illness and for the family), the need for universal education and stigma reduction regarding mental illness were key issues affecting families where a parent has a mental illness. Similar to other studies in this area, the consultation found that supportive adults, siblings or peers, participation in activities, relevant information, ‘time out’, and someone to talk to were factors that helped young people to cope with their parent being unwell.