In this article, we explain how children managed their experiences of living with a parent with a mental illness. Symbolic interactionism served as the theoretical framework. The sample comprised 22 children between 6 and 16 years of age, who were living part- or full-time with a parent with depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar illness. Data collection included interviews, participant observation, and drawing. Concurrent data collection and constant comparative analysis were undertaken to generate two core variables: finding the rhythm and maintaining the frame. Finding a rhythm with their parents required children to monitor and adjust to their parents' behaviors so they could maintain connections with parents and family stability. Maintaining the frame allowed children to create safe distances between themselves and their parents so they could preserve themselves while trying to stay connected. The children were managing their lives and identities to avoid being engulfed by their parents' mental illnesses.

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Research substantiates children of parents with mental disorders including substance abuse face increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Although evidence suggests that support programs for children enhance resiliency, recruiting children to these groups remains problematic. This study identifies successful recruitment strategies for prevention programs for children of parental mental illness. The participants were recruited from an international network of researchers. E-mail invitations requested that researchers forward a web-based questionnaire to five colleagues with recruitment experience. Forty-five individuals from nine countries practicing in mental health responded. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis techniques were used. Results: Schools, adult, and youth mental health services were recruitment sources. Nine themes were identified: Relationships, diversified information output, logistics, program consistency, family involvement, recruitment through adults, stigma, recruiting locations, social media. Recruitment barriers were: stigma, inadequate knowledge about parental mental illness and limited time. Transportation to programming was an essential component of successful recruitment.