Table 1 Topic Guide—Mental health and illness in the community

Are mental health difficulties a problem in this community?

Where do people get help? What challenges might affect people getting help?

How do patients talk about their difficulties?

How do community members talk about mental health/illness—What language do people use to talk about mental health difficulties?

How easy or difficult is it to talk about mental health?

Talking to children about mental health/illness: Do you think that people in your community talk with children about mental health and illness within the family?

What might be the challenges and benefits of talking with children about mental health and illness?

How do you think it would make a child feel to talk about mental illness?

At what sort of age do you think children start noticing if one of their parents has a mental illness?

At what sort of age do you think it would be appropriate for adults/caregivers within a family or HCPs to have conversations with children around mental health and illness?

Are there any cultural factors that might affect how people communicate with children around mental health and illness?

Who do you think is the best person to speak to children whose parents have a mental illness?

Where do you think is the best place to have these conversations? And when?

Additional topics: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health:

Has COVID-19 increased stresses for people in this community? Do people talk about this stress? If so, how?