INTERVIEWS OF PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS ABOUT THEIR FAMILY SITUATION ANDYOUNG-CHILDREN

In this study, the perception by mentally ill parents of their family situation and young children was explored with the purpose of improvin g the basis for cooperation between families and professionals, when i ntervention is needed. Fifty consecutively admitted psychiatric inpati ents with children 0-10 years old were interviewed by child psychiatri sts, and their information constitutes the study material. It was gene rally easy to approach the patients as parents. Most of them were alre ady preoccupied with their children's situation and seemed relieved to talk about it when guaranteed anonymity. Half of the patients experie nced and described having emotional difficulties in relation to their children. Half of the 64 children were reported to suffer from physica l or mental health problems, and an unexpected accumulation of childre n with serious and relatively rare medical conditions was registered. Most of the children had parents who had been mentally ill all their l ife, and many had 2 parents with mental disorders. Family discord was frequent. Many women related the debut of mental symptoms to childbirt h. Attention is drawn to special patterns concerning suicidal and addi cted patients.