”På bekostnad av mig”: Om att ha barn med någon med psykisk ohälsa

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of parents who share their parenthood with a person suffering from mental illness, and to reveal the self-reported needs of these parents in relation to their specific life situation. The study is based upon a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Six female participants who share parenthood with a person with bipolar disorder were interviewed in depth in order to capture the meaning of their experiences. To analyze the data Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used which revealed six main themes: Life put on the back burner, Being prepared for crisis, Triple parenthood, Normalizing what is not normal, The family is invisible in the health care system, and Needbased interventions. The findings suggested that due to their dual role as
informal caregiver and parent the participants experience a high burden in their everyday life. The participants further stated that they are dissatisfied with the current support from the health care system, and call for interventions that focus on the needs of the entire family. The findings are discussed with reference to future research and possible implications for family interventions.