Promotion of mental health in children of parents with a mental disorder

• Main Authors: Maria Cristina Verrocchio, Alessandra Ambrosini, Mario Fulcheri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istituto Superiore di Sanità
• Series: Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità
• Subjects: children of parents with mental illness; parenting; family-focused care; mental health
• Online Access: http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0021-25712013000400015&lng=en&tlng=en

Mental disorders are associated with many difficulties in the activities of daily living, work, relationships and family, and they determine high social and economic costs that represent an important public health problem. The literature has shown that children of parents with mental disorders grow up in environments that are potentially harmful to their mental health and are at risk of neglect and maltreatment. Interventions to prevent mental disorders and psychological symptoms of children of parents with mental disorders are effective but supporting these families is a complex task which requires both cooperation between departments and an interdisciplinary knowledge. A greater knowledge of the responses provided to assist families with dependent children and a mentally ill parent, could stimulate reflections on critical issues and government actions aimed at promoting and protecting the mental health of children.