Children as Next of Kin and the General Practitioner, 2015

Children of parents suffering from mental health illnesses, substance abuse or severe somatic illnesses are vulnerable and at risk of psychosocial and somatic illnesses. In addition they often tell about stigma, shame and fear, feelings of responsibility, loneliness, and depression during childhood. They are in need of coordinated and comprehensive care, with a solid base in primary care. Little is known about how the general practitioners can contribute in identifying and establishing well-functioning su pport for these children and their families. The objective of this project was to generate knowledge on how general practitioners can aid children as next of kin. The topic was addressed seen from the perspective of three groups: the burde ned children, their parents, and the general practitioners. Data was collected from focus group interviews with children as next of kin 10-15 years of age and experienced general practitioners, in-depth interviews with parents from the target groups and a e-mail based survey to all registered Norwegian general practitioners based on the hypotheses from the results of the analyses of the qualitative data. The project group was interdisciplinary and international, although the core group was based in Norway.