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Background and Purpose: Mental health services rarely reach children whose parents have mental illness despite their poor outcomes. There is a need to consider how mental health practitioners can prioritize the needs of these children and their families. This study examined kinship involvement in the lives of children whose parents have mental illness., Methods: A phenomenological design was used, interviewing 20 children (aged 10-17 years) in families with parental mental illness (PMI) in Ghana. The interview data was analysed to attain the essential features of what kinship support looks like for children and their families., Results: The essential feature of kinship support for children and families with PMI is characterized by uncertainty. However, there is an overall impression that kinship is generally supportive to these families, providing respite services, assistance with daily living, emotional support and advice to children and families. Yet, there is a sense that kinship may not always be helpful to these families., Conclusions: Kinship support is integral in countries where formal mental health services are inadequate and should be explored/harnessed by mental health practitioners. The study provides directions into ways practitioners can utilize kinship as a resource when working with these families.

Children living with parental mental illness are referred to as an invisible population because mental health services rarely target them, as the focus is often on the parent who is ill mentally. The same situation occurs even in school where they are unnoticed. This study conducted in Ghana creates awareness about what these children think about their interactions at school in the context of parental mental illness. Data was collected through interviews and diaries with 13 children living with parental mental illness and analysed to attain the essential features through Husserl's transcendental phenomenology. The children find the school as a happy space where they do not have to be worried about the parent's mental illness. Ultimately, though, even at school, most of the children become concerned about the mental wellbeing of the parent due to their loyalty towards them. This results in the school paradox where the children are torn between having their own time at school and being worried about the parent's condition back home, wanting to be there for the parent. The school paradox is an unhealthy cycle that could be addressed with coordinated efforts from mental health professionals, social workers, psychologists and teachers.

Aims and Objectives: To explore what it is like for children in the family setting to live with parental mental illness., Background: There are reported risks of negative social and behavioural outcomes among children living with parental mental illness such as poor school performance, isolation and poor mental health. There is yet more to know about how children's interactions with significant members of the family shape their experiences., Design: A phenomenological design following Husserl's concepts of lifeworld and inter-subjectivity was adapted for the study., Method: Twenty-one children (ages 10-17) who lived with a parent with mental illness were interviewed. The data were analysed to attain the essential features of the phenomenon. The study followed the COREQ checklist for qualitative studies., Findings: The essence of the phenomenon 'living with parental mental illness' in the family setting comprises strain, sadness and some happy moments. Living with parental mental illness can produce unpredictable life situations for children as relationships and interactions in the family setting can be chaotic and confusing. The ups and downs define their lifeworld as a roller coaster. Strenuous family environment, sibling interaction, navigating separate living arrangements and there are good days were specific themes that clarified the children's lives as a roller coaster., Conclusion: A concept called the 'parent paradox' is coined to reflect how children are torn between what their living situation looks like comparing the parent with mental illness and the other without mental illness. The paradox is founded on children's loyalty towards their parents., Relevance to Clinical Practice: To break the unhealthy cycle created by the parent paradox, mental health nurses should ensure that children are well informed about the parent's mental condition including information about treatment procedures and recovery. Child's psychological distress may be reduced when they are informed., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)