ABSTRACT
Given the complexity and demanding nature of parenting, it is not surprising that parental mental illness can hugely impact on the lives of dependent children. In the UK there are thought to be approximately 1.7 million adults with moderate to severe mental health problems. A number of small-scale studies have proposed that around 25% of adults involved with mental health services will have dependent children.1,2
This chapter will consider the mediating processes by which parental mental illness can impact on a child’s development and the range of effects so far documented.
