Participants focused on the development of stable social conditions and stable partnership as important prerequisites for desire for children. However, a mental illness might easily threaten the development of such stable conditions. It was emphasized that a partnership with a mentally ill partner can be both an important source of support as well as an additional burden due to the "doubled risk". Furthermore, it was reported that during contacts with mental health service providers, the desire for children is mostly restricted to the issue of adequate birth control. Some participants felt overburdened by bringing up this issue vis-à-vis professionals while some were afraid that their desire for children may become medicalised. Most participants were sceptical towards the use of (hypothetical) genetic techniques aiming at the prediction of a mental illness in the planned/unborn child.