For pasient og pårørende

Children and young people can be affected in different ways when someone in the family dies, is ill, or has a mental illness. Openness and predictability are important to ensure that children who are next of kin have the opportunity to live good lives.

It is easier for children and young people to cope with illness and mental illness in the family when family members are open with one another.

Being open means talking together about what is happening and making sure no one is left out. Children need to feel safe asking questions about things they are wondering about, and they need to be able to trust that adults will give honest answers.

Children who are next of kin have different needs depending on their personality, age and situation, but some needs are shared. Children want to understand what is happening and be part of the process. We encourage you to:

Be open about what is happening
Help children understand
Maintain routines and create predictability

There are several websites with useful information, resources and overviews for you as a patient or relative. Here you can read more about how children are affected by illness in the family, and where you can get help and support:

The health trusts’ own websites provide locally tailored information for patients and relatives. Here you can find anoverview of the country’s health trusts and their websites.

See, for example,Sørlandet Hospital HF’s information page for those with children and young people in the family.

Your health trust’s website also has information about what you as a relative can expect at your hospital.

On helsenorge.no, you can findgood advice and useful information for you as a relative.

Helsenorge is the Norwegian public website for information about and access to health services. Its content is provided by various organisations in the health sector, and information for relatives is provided in part by BarnsBeste.

On helsenorge.no, you can findinformation about what children and young people with substance abuse, physical illness or mental illness in the family need to make life easierin their everyday lives.

You can also findadvice on how to talk to children and young people about war, terrorism or difficult events.

Are you a young person, or do you work with young people? Ung.no is the government’s information channel for young people. It provides information and guidance through a website with public information, and a question service where young people can ask about things they are wondering about. The target group is young people aged 13–20.

The website is run by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir). Information for relatives is provided in part by BarnsBeste.

Are you experiencing illness or substance abuse in your family? — Ung.no

BarnsBeste has made a short film about what it is like to have family members who are ill or have substance abuse problems. You can watch it here:

Illness or substance abuse in the family?