While mental health services are increasingly encouraged to engage in family-focused practice, it is a poorly understood term. The aim of review was to synthesize evidence on the concept and scope of family-focused practice in adult and child and youth mental health care settings. An integrative literature review method was used. Electronic databases were systematically searched between 1994–2014. In 40 included articles, family-focused practice was conceptualized variously depending on who comprised the "family," the family type, and context of practice. Six core and inter-related family-focused practices were identified: assessment; psychoeducation; instrumental, emotional, and social support; family care planning and goal-setting; liaison between families and services; and a coordinated system of care between families and services. "Family" as defined by its members forms a basis for practice that is oriented to providing a "whole of family" approach to care. Key principles and family-focused practices are recommended across mental health settings.

This article provides an overview of what we know about families where a parent has a mental illness, in order to situate the following papers for the special edition. An extensive search during November, 2014 in the Ovid MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases identified relevant papers that were then synthesized and presented in terms of (a) prevalence of parents and children living with parental mental illness, (b) mechanisms of risk for children, (c) needs of children, (d) needs of parents, and (e) intervention types and outcomes. A significant paradigm shift across all levels of policy and service development is required to adequately meet the needs of parents and children living with parental mental illness.