Parental Mental Illness: Impact On Children

Many people may wonder about the impact of parental mental illness on children. Experts emphasize the connection between a child's mental health and that of their parents, noting that parents who grapple with managing symptoms of mental health conditions may face challenges with providing care. 

Studies also indicate that children of parents with mental illness may have a higher risk of developing a mental disorder themselves. Such challenges can be intensified by factors like adverse life circumstances and lack of adequate support and resources. 

However, many factors can reduce the effects of mental disorders on children's well-being. Protective factors might include the family's mental health literacy, healthy coping skills, social support, and age-appropriate information regarding the parent's illness. Parents may find it helpful to speak to a licensed therapist who can help them manage their mental health challenges and support their children.

Impact of parental mental illness on children's mental health

Studies indicate that parental mental illness can negatively affect children’s quality of life, which can encompass physical, psychological, and social well-being. The psychological effects of witnessing a parent's mental health condition often include emotional and behavioral challenges that may influence a child's relationships, interests, and overall well-being. 

Findings suggest that a child’s ability to adapt and recover from the impacts of a parent’s mental illness may rely on the interaction between risk factors and protective factors. 

These risk factors might include the following:

• Symptom severity of a parent's mental condition
• Having an unhealthy or unhelpful coping style
• Behavioral and emotional challenges experienced by the child 
• A less stable home environment
• High levels of daily stress
• Difficulties with parenting, including reduced involvement with the child, insensitivity, rejection, and neglect

Meanwhile, protective factors may include those listed below:

• The family's mental health literacy
• Positive social bonds between siblings
• Overall family function and support from extended family
• Social and emotional support outside the family, including other trusted adults
• The support of another parent 
• Psychoeducation about the parent's mental health condition
• Adequate support from mental health services
• Positive parent-child interactions
• A sense of being loved and valued
• A parent's belief in their ability to positively influence their child
• The child’s interest in school and academic success
• Healthy self-esteem

Interventions and sources of support

Below are several interventions that can promote resilience in children.

• Programs that teach mental health literacy, foster parent-child communication, and enhance children's problem-solving skills
• Family-focused therapy that employs a "family talk" approach
• Support from mental health services
• Information about the parent's condition and how to manage stressful situations
• Parenting skills classes and information on parenting from trusted sources
• Support from teachers and other trusted adults

Long-term impact of parental mental illness and mitigating factors

Parental mental health conditions may correlate with higher distress levels in children as they grow up, especially in the case of prolonged exposure to serious mental illness. 

According to some figures, about one in 10 children under 18 years old have a parent with a diagnosed severe mental illness, and approximately one in four children under 16 have a mother with a mental health condition.

One Swedish study examined the context of children of parents diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, noting that "how a child is negatively affected by parental mental illness depends on biological, psychological, and social risk and protective factors in the child, parent, family and community." 

Understanding a parent's illness

A systematic review of international literature examined the impact of familial mental illness on children. Its findings indicated that children tend to be more likely to overcome stressors related to a parent's mental condition when they receive information that helps them understand a parent's illness and how to manage stressful situations. 

The study noted that children's needs are often overlooked and unaddressed in mental health systems. These children may be at higher risk for poor outcomes related to academic performance, social relationships, and mental health. 

The study's findings concluded that children tend to lack adequate understanding of their parent's illnesses, which can affect their emotional health by causing confusion, anxiety, and frustration. It can be crucial for children to be provided with appropriate information about their parent's condition. 

Heal from the impact of your parents’ mental health challenges

Work with a licensed therapist online

Considering therapy

If you are finding it challenging to navigate mental health symptoms while parenting, speaking to a therapist might be beneficial. A therapist can help you address daily life challenges and stress, introducing coping strategies to manage symptoms of many mental health conditions. If attending in-person sessions isn’t accessible or convenient, you may want to consider online therapy as an option. Online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp generally allows each user to attend sessions from the location of their choice at a time that suits their schedule.

Research suggests that online and in-person therapy tend to produce the same client outcomes. Both may effectively treat a variety of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.