The aim of this literature review was to illuminate children's experiences and stories of parents with mental illnesses. This thesis also aimed to look into how the parent-child relationship is influenced by the parents mental illness. A search was conducted through various databases, and a total of 17 articles were reviewed. The method for analysis was a qualitative thematic content analysis and the results are based on the patterns and themes that were identified. The results show that these children are continuously excluded by their parents and often take responsibility for the parents' condition. Children are also forced to take on responsibility beyond their years, and develop strategies to compensate for the parents' shortcomings. These strategies also support the child's development of resilience. The children also experience overwhelmingly negative emotions as a result of their circumstances, as well as the on-going stigmatization regarding mental illness. Children of parents with mental illnesses are thus more at risk of developing a mental illness; though not all do. The results also show that the children's resilience determines their ability to process and adapt to the surrounding hardships. The authors´conclusion was that the primary obstacle to overcome is the lacking inclusion and communication of children to parents with mental illnesses; that way appropriate strategies and support can be provided and alleviate the situation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-45500 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Bilalovic, Sara |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för hälsa och samhälle (HS) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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