title: Mental health services for parents affected by mental illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite an increasing awareness of support needs of families affected by parental mental illness, there is a lack of adequate mental healthcare provision for parents. As contemporary mental health services are both user-focused and evidence based, the present review focuses on knowledge regarding the subjective perspective on parenting issues among affected parents and the evidence base for parenting programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There has been a shift in the research focus from adverse effects of parental mental illness on children toward inclusion and the subjective perspective in affected mothers and, more recently, fathers with mental health problems. Parents report on role conflicts, parenting difficulties, and stigma. Despite a broad spectrum of parental needs, many parents are reluctant to use services. There is an increasing evidence base for intervention programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adequate care for parents affected by mental illness requires sensitivity for parents' subjective perspective, interagency collaboration, standard intake practice, high level of professional knowledge and skills, provision of family-friendly environments, evidence-based parenting programs comprising both individual and group approaches and peer support. There is a lack of research on other parenting needs such as desire for children, coping with custody loss, and childlessness related to mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Bezirkskrankenhaus Guenzburg, Guenzburg, Germany. silvia.krumm@bkh-guenzburg.de
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krumm
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiegand-Grefe
mesh_terms: D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration