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Background/Aims: Parents can be an important source of support for young people living with mental illness. Young people have the potential to shape this support to best suit their needs, however little is known about this issue. This paper explores, from the perspectives of young people, how they manage parental support and involvement. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 26 young people (15-24 years old) who were living with mental illness and in frequent contact with at least one parent. These were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Findings: Young people reported shaping parental involvement using a combination of facilitation, compliance and resistance. Their actions were determined by a complex alignment of their wish for parent involvement, perceived potential to influence their parents, and ability to communicate their needs. Conclusions: By understanding these dynamics, therapists working with young people and their parents can help address barriers to achieving optimal parent support for young people experiencing mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Assisting clients to achieve wellbeing, even in the presence of ongoing mental illness, should be a primary goal of mental health services. However, little is known about what wellbeing means for young people living with mental illness. The aim of this study is to explore the ways in which young Australians living with mental illness conceptualise their wellbeing. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with young people (n=20; age range: 16-25 years) living with mental illness. Results were analysed qualitatively using constant comparative analysis. Results: Analysis of the data indicated that participants were describing two different but complementary types of concepts. We conceptualised these two types of concepts as 'building blocks' and 'foundations' of wellbeing, respectively. Five building blocks were identified, which together constituted wellbeing for participants: i) sense of self; ii) relationships; iii) sense of the future; iv) feelings and experiences; v) agency. These building blocks were supported or undermined by seven foundations: i) activities; ii) having things; iii) mental illness; iv) the past; v) coping strategies; vi) environmental supports and barriers; vii) personal characteristics. Conclusions: The findings support the use of a recovery paradigm for young people with mental illness. The framework presented can be used to assist young people to consider different aspects that make up their wellbeing and plan ways to address these by attending to multiple foundational factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]