Background: Beardslee's family intervention (FI) is a family-based intervention to prevent psychiatric problems for children of mentally ill parents. The parents' experiences are of importance in family-based interventions.
Method: Twenty five parents were interviewed about their experiences of FI. Data were analysed by qualitative methods.
Discussion: Confidence and security in the professionals and in FI as a method were prerequisites for initiating communication about the parents' mental illness with the children.
Conclusions: FI provides a solid base for an alliance with the parents and might be a practicable method when parenthood and children are discussed with psychiatric patients.