Children's perceptions of living with a parent with a mental illness: finding the rhythm and maintaining the frame

In this article, we explain how children managed their experiences of living with a parent with a mental illness. Symbolic interactionism served as the theoretical framework. The sample comprised 22 children between 6 and 16 years of age, who were living part- or full-time with a parent with depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar illness. Data collection included interviews, participant observation, and drawing. Concurrent data collection and constant comparative analysis were undertaken to generate two core variables: finding the rhythm and maintaining the frame. Finding a rhythm with their parents required children to monitor and adjust to their parents' behaviors so they could maintain connections with parents and family stability. Maintaining the frame allowed children to create safe distances between themselves and their parents so they could preserve themselves while trying to stay connected. The children were managing their lives and identities to avoid being engulfed by their parents' mental illnesses.