Table 2.

Characteristics of included papers

Authors (year)	Country	Participants	Study Design	Quality rating	Aim of study	Key qualitative findings related to the  hospitalization of parents
Blegen et al. [37]	Norway	Mothers (n = 10) with children aged 0–18 years, admitted to a hospital unit; diagnoses included: depression, anxiety, bipolar, disorder, ADHD	Semi-structured interviews, analysis with philosophical hermeneutics	40.5	To understand the experience of being cared for in psychiatric care as a patient and as a parent	Parental ambivalence: Mothers’ anxiety about disclosing their inner feelings about themselves as a mother to clinicians despite wanting support in this area; a mask of silence provides protection but also causes distance and reduced opportunity for optimal care; struggle between responsibility and condemnation
Knutsson-Medin et al. [36]	Sweden	Adult children (n = 36): mean age of 25.8 years, range 19–38 years; 15 men, 21 women; parents had been previous psychiatric inpatients	Written survey, manifest content analysis	52.5	To examine adult children’s previous experiences of contact with their parent’s psychiatric inpatient services	Children’s needs: Support and information needed from hospital staff and more contact with clinicians Pressure: relief that the parent was being looked after Involvement and guidance: Children were not provided with information about their parent during hospitalization
Kosman et al. [35]	USA	One 28-year-old mother with postpartum depression and admitted to inpatient psychiatry (not a mother-baby unit)	Case study	18.5	To discuss the issues associated with postpartum depression including mother and infant safety, maternal-infant attachment, psychopharmacological options for postpartum depression, and traumatic birth experiences	Parental ambivalence: Parental ambivalence about hospitalization, experiences of emotional difficulties being separated from her infant, logistical and physiological issues associated with breastfeeding and challenges of coordinating childcare during hospitalization
Maybery et al. [38]	Australia	5 parents with mood disorder, 3 anxiety, 3 personality disorder, 1 psychotic (total n = 10), partners (n = 2); children (aged 6–16 years) (n = 12). Total n = 24	Focus groups, qualitative interpretive analysis Quantitative questionnaire, between groups analysis of variance	51.5	To examine child, parent and professional perspectives of the needs of children when a parent is an inpatient and how to best meet those needs	Pressure: Older children had to care for themselves while parent was in hospital Involvement and guidance: Families wanted information about the parent’s mental illness Children’s needs: Facilitate opportunities to see their parents; to be recognized/identified by professionals during admission and discharge; siblings are an important source of support
O'Brien et al. [25]	Australia	Parents (n = 5) discharged from an inpatient facility in the last 12 months; with a child aged 0–18 years, partners (n = 2), children (n = 5) aged between 8–15 years; and grandparents (n = 1). Total n = 13	Semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis	47	To examine perspectives of children, parents and carers towards children visiting parents in inpatient units	Pressure: Family stress when making decisions about children visiting their parent in hospital and caring for children during visits Involvement and guidance: Family involvement in admission interviews was appreciated; wanted guidance on child visitations with parents Children’s needs: Support during visits, including advice and debrief from staff Parental ambivalence: Parents wanting children to visit but also wanting to shield them
Skundberg-Kletthagen et al. [39]	Norway	Partners (n = 6), grandparents (n = 2), siblings (n = 2), children aged over 18 years (n = 12) and participants who had “other relationships” (n = 2). The parent had been admitted to a psychiatric ward with depression. Total n = 24	Semi-structured interviews, interpretive phenomenological analysis	51.5	To describe experiences of encountering a psychiatric service as a relative of an inpatient with severe depression	Pressure: Difficulty getting parents admitted; burden of care after discharge Involvement and guidance: Families wanted more information about psychiatric services and to be included in decision making, particularly around discharge planning
Wells et al. [40]	UK	Fathers (n = 8) aged 27–54 years (M = 43 years), admitted in forensic inpatient care with current admissions ranging from 3 months to 9 years; having children aged 2 to 39 years	Semi-structured interviews, grounded theory	46.5	To investigate men’s experience of fatherhood in forensic inpatient care	Parental ambivalence: Physical absence not necessarily leading to psychological disconnection; influential factors of psychological connection (e.g., geographical location of hospital admission and financial difficulties, the child’s mother, participants’ own parents, professional support); ways and challenges of fulfilling parenting responsibilities during hospitalization
Zeighami et al. [41]	Iran	Children (n = 10) aged between 17–26 years, daughter in law (n = 1), grandmothers (n = 2). Parents had mood disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive disorder and had been hospitalized for an average of 13 times. Total n = 13	Semi-structured interviews, grounded theory	51	To explore the mental health needs of children at various stages of their parent’s mental illness	Pressure: Burden on children to convince parents to seek support/admission to the psychiatric unit Children’s needs: People to be with and talk to during parent hospitalization; Involvement and Guidance: After discharge they need guidance and education about the situation