Norwegian health personnel's contacts and referrals for children of ill parents: an exploratory cross-sectional multi-centre study.

Background: In 2010, changes were made to the Norwegian Health Personnel Act. This led to all health personnel being obliged to support the patients' children and families. The aims of this study were to investigate whether health personnel contacted or referred the patients' children to family/friends or public services.

Norwegian health personnel's compliance with new legislation on children of ill parents: an exploratory cross-sectional multicentre study.

Background: In 2010 the Norwegian Parliament introduced amendments to the Health Personnel Act requiring all health personnel to inform and offer help to their patients' children and families. We evaluated whether health personnel adhered to their obligations outlined in the Act and investigated whether family and health services characteristics were associated with the degree of compliance with the legislation. Our study was part of a larger Norwegian multi-site study conducted in five health trusts across Norway, assessing the situation for families living with parental illness.

Editorial Perspective: Prato Research Collaborative for change in parent and child mental health - principles and recommendations for working with children and parents living with parental mental illness.

Children whose parents have mental illnesses are among the most vulnerable in our communities. There is however, much that can be done to prevent or mitigate the impact of a parent's illness on children. Notwithstanding the availability of several evidence-based interventions, efforts to support these children have been limited by a lack of adequate support structures.

Differences in implementation of family focused practice in hospitals: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Changes in Norwegian law and health policy require all health professionals to help safeguard the provision of information and follow-up for the children of parents with mental or physical illness, or substance abuse problems, to decrease their risk of psychosocial problems. There is a lack of knowledge on how the national changes have been received by hospital-based health professionals, and if they have led to an increase in family focused practice.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the adherence of health professionals' ( = 280) in five hospitals to new guidelines for family focused practice, using a translated and generic version of Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire.

Hospitals implementing changes in law to protect children of ill parents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Norway is one of the first countries to require all health professionals to play a part in prevention for children of parents with all kinds of illnesses (mental illness, drug addiction, or severe physical illness or injury) in order to mitigate their increased risk of psychosocial problems. Hospitals are required to have child responsible personnel (CRP) to promote and coordinate support given by health professionals to patients who are parents and to their children.

Methods: This study examined the extent to which the new law had been implemented as intended in Norwegian hospitals, using Fixsen's Active Implementation Framework.

Children with ill parents: extent and nature of caring activities.

Rationale: Previous studies have shown that children may take on higher extents of caring activities if their parents are affected by severe illness or disability, especially when their parents lack access to formal and informal care.

Aims And Objectives: This study examined the extent and nature of caring activities done by patients' children; differences in caring activities between different types of parental illness; factors associated with caring activities.

Design: An explorative cross-sectional multicentre study.