When mental illness affects a family, it does not only impact the person who is ill. It also affects the children – often in silence – and this can have significant consequences. A new one-year project from SIND Rådgivning aims to enhance the well-being of children growing up in families with mental illness.

– This is a donation that means a lot to us and to our ability to offer a stable place where one can seek support regarding mental illness, says psychologist and advisor at SIND Rådgivning, Lars Munk.

SIND Rådgivning's services are free for families and are largely funded through foundation support and fundraising. Donations like this are therefore crucial for vulnerable children and their parents to receive timely help.

– The fact that so many children grow up in families with mental illness indicates a great need for support and counseling. Therefore, I am pleased that Fonden Sol og Strand, together with Margit and Kjeld, can help some of these children, says the foundation's co-founder, Margit Andersen.

When a parent or sibling becomes mentally ill, it often leads to significant changes in daily life – changes in family roles, worries, and in many cases, an impact on the family's financial situation.

– Many children take on a responsibility that is not theirs. They try to protect their parents and do not always talk to anyone about what they are experiencing. Therefore, it is crucial that we create safe spaces where there is room for both questions, worries, and difficult emotions, says Lars Munk.

The project targets children aged 8–14 from Aarhus Municipality. The aim is to create a community where children can meet peers in the same situation, gain knowledge about mental illness, and find new ways to cope with a daily life marked by unpredictability.

– The goal is to create a forum where children can reflect on each other and where they experience that there are no taboo subjects. We talk about how mental illness can manifest, what feelings it can evoke, and which networks children can seek support from – it could be the football coach or grandparents. The most important thing is that they do not feel alone, but that they have someone to share their worries with, says Lars Munk.

The project includes three children's groups, parent groups, family conversations, as well as individual conversation and counseling processes. Parents participate alongside the children's groups so that the whole family gains a common language and a greater understanding of the challenges that mental illness can bring.

– We focus heavily on openness in communication – that there is nothing that cannot be talked about. Our experience is that it is very important for parents that children have the opportunity to express their feelings. This makes it easier to talk together at home afterward because the family has gained a common standpoint, says Lars Munk.

In Denmark, around 310,000 children live with a parent with mental illness. Many of them bear a responsibility they should never have had – and up to 70 percent receive no help.

FACTS ABOUT THE PROJECT

Target group: Children aged 8–14 in families with mental illness and their parents
• Expected number of participants: approx. 27 children and around 40 parents
• Initiatives: Children's groups, parent groups, family conversations, and individual programs
• Project period: 1 year
• All services are free