title: Initiating communication about parental mental illness in families: an issue of confidence and security.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beardslee's family intervention (FI) is a family-based intervention to prevent psychiatric problems for children of mentally ill parents. The parents' experiences are of importance in family-based interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty five parents were interviewed about their experiences of FI. Data were analysed by qualitative methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Confidence and security in the professionals and in FI as a method were prerequisites for initiating communication about the parents' mental illness with the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FI provides a solid base for an alliance with the parents and might be a practicable method when parenthood and children are discussed with psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Skellefteå Hospital, Psychiatric Clinic, Skellefteå, Sweden. helja.p@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Heljä
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pihkala
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandlund
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cederström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D013548:Sweden; D035502:Trust