Det syns inte på utsidan, men det känns på insidan : En kvalitativ litteraturanalys om barn som anhöriga till psykiskt sjuka föräldrar

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to investigate how children as relatives of mentally ill parents are produced in picture books. It has been implemented through analysis of three selected picture books. The aim of this study is also to see what didactic function the literature has and how it can be applied in the pre-school activities. The study employes the ecological systems theory of child development by Urie Bronfenbrenner. The analysis has been conducted based on Dahlborg-Lyckhages analytical model and Nicolajevas model of person portrayal in picture books. The results shows that mental illness in picture books is equated with how the existing research defines mental illness. It also shows that the children's influence of mental illness is visualized through parentification and lack of attachment. The result also shows that there is a didactic function in the literature, the books are suitable to increase the knowledge about children as relatives of mentally ill parents and to increase knowledge about mental illness.