Experience of hospitalization of the family with children and adolescents in psychological distress.

Objective: To learn about the experience of families of children and adolescents in psychological distress facing hospitalization in a psychiatric inpatient unit of a general university hospital.

Method: This is a qualitative phenomenological-social study, with data collection carried out from February to March 2022 through open interviews, analyzed using Alfred Schutz's framework with the construction of categories of meaning.

Results: Based on the analysis of eight interviews, it was possible to understand changes in the families' way of life, impacts on their routine, work, and social relationships.