Background: Young adults undergo a phase in life when they try to become independent individuals and are expected to take responsibility. The transition to adult life, cause hardship for all young adults, but with concurrent mental illness this transition can be more complicated. The young adults may need support from their parents in connection with care.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurses' perceptions of parental participation in the care of young adults with mental illness.

Method: To describe the perceptions of a phenomenon, qualitative interviews with a phenomenographic approach were conducted. The interview texts were analyzed into five description categories and 10 perceptions. In the study, eight nurses were interviewed.

Results: The result shows that parental participation in the care is based on the young adult's decision. The degree of involvement is entirely dependent on the nurses' involvement and the extent to which parents participate. The concept of participatory perception of nurses consists of information.

Conclusion: More account should be taken of the young adult's level of maturity rather than the chronological age in improving care.