A qualitative study of health visitors’ family focused practice with mothers with mental illness in Northern Ireland: Perspectives of health visitors, mothers and partners

Health visitor's practice largely centres around mother and baby. For health visitors to increase their family focused practice they need to meet needs of mothers who have serious mental illness more effectively and consider how partners can be included in their practice, in a manner that is beneficial and acceptable to them. This study contributes to better understanding of health visitor's family focused practice with mentally ill mothers and highlights the need for more effective engagement with mothers with serious mental illness and partners. It also highlights that for health visitors to engage in family focused practice they need the necessary training and time to do so. Results can inform organisational developments in family focused practice within health visiting.