Focus groups on educational programming for children affected by a family member with a mental illness

Abstract Family education programs are usually targeted to adult parents, spouses, and siblings. Because there are few models appropriate for children and adolescents affected by a family member with a mental illness, a family-centered program in Philadelphia held focus group meetings to obtain the perspectives of professionals and persons with mental illnesses. This was a preliminary step that would guide the design of educational workshops for children and adolescents. This paper reports the findings of the focus groups held with providers, adolescents, parents, and adult children or siblings. The groups recommended specific content areas for different age groups, suggested a variety of activities and teaching methods, and offered ideas about how the program might be structured and motivation might be maintained. Participants concurred that children and adolescents would benefit from obtaining accurate information and learning about coping strategies in educational workshops that are attuned to children's emotional needs and developmental stage.