ABSTRACT
The mental health and well-being of children are intimately intertwined with the mental health and well-being of their parents (NFCMH, 2003). Given the prevalence of mental illnesses in the American population, and the prevalence of parenthood among those with mental illnesses, it is safe to conclude that millions of children will be affected at some point in their lives (Nicholson, Biebel, Williams & Katz-Leavy, 2004). Several decades of research suggest that these children are more likely to have developmental, behavioral and emotional difficulties than are children whose parents’ functioning is not compromised by mental illnesses (e.g., Beardslee et al., 1996; Benjamin, Benjamin & Rind, 1998; Goodman & Gotlib, 1999, 2002; Hammen, 2003). Although there is a genetic component to many major mental illnesses, which increases the likelihood that children whose parents have mental illnesses will develop psychopathology, the impact of parental mental illness may be moderated by many factors-for example, individual characteristics of the child and parent as well as family, community and societal characteristics and conditions (Nicholson, Biebel, Hinden, Henry, & Stier, 2001). Given that only the minority of adults living with the symptoms of mental illnesses are diagnosed and receive appropriate treatment and rehabilitation, many children are likely to be impacted, negatively and unnecessarily, by parents’ untreated illnesses. Appropriate treatment of parent and child, when indicated, and supportive and preventive interventions to promote healthy functioning and the achievement of desired goals may contribute to positive outcomes for all family members.
