Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The association between parental mental illness and child disturbance has been documented although the experience of children coping with such illness has received comparatively little attention. This article details the impact of parental mental illness on children of patients attending a community mental health team. Information was obtained from 24 adults and 26 dependent children. Children were concerned about their parents, had little understanding of their parent’s illness and most wanted more information. Parents were aware of the negative impact of the illness upon their children, particularly disruption to everyday life and concerns about significant behaviour problems. Despite the negative impact of the illness, parents perceived their relationship with their children positively. In undertaking this research a number of potential barriers to identifying the needs of these children were identified which are reported. The study highlights the need for more collaborative and integrated child and adult mental health services and the development of a more family-centred focus.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alverson, M., Becker, D., & Drake, R. (1995). An ethnographic study of coping strategies used by people with severe mental illness participating in supported employment . Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 18, 115–128 .

Bassett, H., Lampe, J., & Lloyd, C. (1999). Parenting: Experiences and feelings of parents with a mental illness . Journal of Mental Health, 8(6), 597–604 .

Beidel, D.C., & Turner, S.M. (1997). At risk for anxiety: 1. Psychopathology in the offspring of anxious parents . Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(7), 918–924 .

Birleson, P. (1981). The validity of depressive disorder in childhood and the development of a self-rating scale . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22, 73–88 .

Birleson, P., Hudson, I., Buchanan, D.G., & Wolff, S. (1987). Clinical evaluation of a selfrating scale for depressive disorder in childhood (Depression Self-Rating Scale) . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28(1), 43–60 .

Canino, G.L., Bird, H.R., Rubio-Stipec, M., Bravo, M., & Alegria, M. (1990). Children of parents with psychiatric disorder in the community . Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(3), 398–406 .

Creswell, C., & Brereton, J. (2000). Community mental health services and the children of service users . Clinical Psychology Forum, 144, 4–6 .

Cox, A.D., Puckering, C., Pound, A., & Mills, M. (1987). The impact of maternal depression in young children . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 917–928 .

Department of Health. (1998). Crossing bridges: Training resources for working with mentally ill parents and their children. Brighton: Department of Health .

10.

Department of Health. (2000). Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families. Norwich: The Stationery Office .

11.

Firth, M.A., & Chaplin, L. (1987). Research note: The use of the Birleson Depression Scale with a non-clinical sample of boys . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28(1), 43–60 .

12.

Fraiberg, S. (1978). The invisible children. In E.J. Anthony, C. Koupernik, & C. Chiland (Eds.), The child and his family, vulnerable children(pp. 287–292). New York: Wiley .

13.

Garley, D., Gallop, R., Johnston, N., & Pipitone, J. (1997). Children of the mentally ill: A qualitative focus group approach . Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 4(2), 97–103 .

14.

Goodman, R. (1994). The extended version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40(5), 791–799 .

15.

Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586 .

16.

Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version . European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125–130 .

17.

Howard, L. (2000). Psychotic disorders and parenting – The relevance of patients’ children for general adult psychiatric services . Psychiatric Bulletin, 24, 324–326 .

18.

Ivarsson, T., Lidberg, A., & Gillberg, C. (1994). The Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS). Clinical evaluation in an adolescent inpatient population . Journal of Affective Disorders, 32, 115–125 .

19.

LaRoche, C. (1989). Children of parents with major affective disorders: A review of the past 5 years . Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 12, 919–932 .

20.

Meltzer, H., Gatward, R., Goodman, R., & Ford, T. (2000). Mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain. London: Office for National Statistics, The Stationery Office .

21.

Murray, L. (1992). The impact of postnatal depression on infant development . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 543–561 .

22.

Pollet, S., Bamforth, M., & Collins, G. (2000). Adult psychotherapy and child and family psychiatry: Ten years of working together for parents and infants . Psychiatric Bulletin, 24, 139–141 .

23.

Rutter, M., & Quinton, D. (1984). Parental psychiatric disorder; Effects on children . Psychological Medicine, 14, 853–880 .

24.

Rutter, M., Tizard, J., & Whitmore, K. (1970). Health, education and behaviour. London: Longmans .

25.

Sands, R. (1995, February). The parenting experience of low-income single women with a serious mental disorder. Families in Society, 86–95.

26.

Stallard, P., Velleman, R., & Baldwin, S. (1999). Psychological screening of children for posttraumatic stress disorder . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40(7), 1075–1082 .

27.

Stormont, F., Craig, T., Atakan, Z., Loader, P., & Williams, C. (1997). Concerns about the children of psychiatric in-patients – what the parents say . Psychiatric Bulletin, 21, 495–497 .

28.

Vanharen, J., LaRoche, C., Heyman, M., Massabki, A., & Colle, L. (1993). Have the invisible children become visible? Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 678–680 .

29.

Wallace, S.A., Crown, J.M., Cox, A.D., & Berger, M. (1995). Epidemiologically based needs assessment: child and adolescent mental health. Winchester: Wessex Institute of Public Health .

30.

Weissman, M.M., Gammon, G.D., & Kohn, K. (1987). Children of depressed parents . Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 847–853 .

31.

Yule, W. (1992). Post traumatic stress disorders in child survivors of shipping disasters: The sinking of the ‘Jupiter’ . Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 57, 200–205 .

The Effects of Parental Mental Illness upon Children: A Descriptive Study of the Views of Parents and Children

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References