Hedman Ahlstrom suggested that health services must help the whole family
Involving the entire family when a parent becomes ill is important, both for the children and the parents. It is essential to have a well-defined level of guaranteed care on how, when and from whom the families will get support.
Psychiatric healthcare personnel meet people suffering from depression at an early stage, and therefore have the opportunity to focus the care on the family, in order to together identify ways of helping the family get through the depression.
"We need a new approach within the health services, in which the focus is on the family's own perspective when a parent is suffering from depression," said Hedman Ahlstrom.
"It's vital to be aware of the whole family's needs in terms of help and support, and not just those of the person who is ill.
"It's particularly important to be aware of the children's situation," she added.
Source-ANI
TAN/L