A qualitative exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives on the experiences, challenges, and needs of persons with serious mental illness as they consider finding a partner or becoming parent

BACKGROUND: While many persons with serious mental illness (SMI) consider intimate relationships and becoming parent as central parts of their lives deeply affecting wellbeing and recovery, others anticipate facing multiple challenges in these life domains. This qualitative study sought to explore the perspectives of persons with SMI and mental health providers (MHPs) with diverse backgrounds and practices on the experiences, challenges, needs and expectations of persons with SMI as they consider finding a partner or becoming parent. METHODS: For this qualitative study, we conducted five focus groups between March and December 2020 for a total number of 22 participants (nine persons with SMI and thirteen MHPs) recruited from a center for psychiatric rehabilitation and a community mental health center in France. We used the inductive six-step process by Braun and Clarke for the thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants reported some challenges related to intimate relationships, stigma/self-stigma, disclosure and decision-making about start a family. Their expectations included: (i) psychoeducation about decision-making about finding a partner and starting a family; (ii) support in making empowered decisions about finding a partner, starting a family or disclosure to a prospective partner or their child; (iii) peer-support interventions; (iv) enhancing coping strategies; (v) integrated service provision including home treatment interventions, training to recovery-oriented practices and access to dedicated resources for providers. CONCLUSION: In short, intimate relationships and desire to start a family for persons with SMI should be more considered in psychiatric rehabilitation and additional support and interventions should therefore be provided.