Experiences of Australian Adult Mental Health Clinicians Who Work with Parents with a Mental Illness

When a parent has a mental illness, it can impact negatively on their family members, including their children. This PhD was conducted to examine the experiences of clinicians who work with parents in the Australian adult mental health sector. This involved three qualitative studies and one mixed methods study. The findings highlighted the specialised and emotionally complex nature of working with parents. Organisational factors were also identified as having a considerable impact on the practices that clinicians employed with parents. Recommendations were made to enhance the capacity of clinicians to respond to the needs of parents and families.