Mental Health Disorders in Parents: The Affects on Children and Youth
Mental Health Disorders in Parents: The Affects on Children and Youth
Introduction
It has been reported that 21-23 percent of children have or have had atleast one parent with a mental health disorder. These statistics raise concern about the wellbeing of children with parents who possess a server mental illness and the resources not just for the parent, but the child or children affected. Children require numerous amounts of needs from their caregivers and an issue with parents who carry a severe mental health disorder is that the parents are unable to provide necessary needs due to their disorder and symptoms associated. Parents who possess a mental health disorder may unconsciously put their child at risk if proper attention isn’t given to the child’s development. Although these risks can be indirectly and unconsciously such as the social stigma attached to mental health disorders, mental effects on the child, genetic predisposition to mental illnesses themselves and the academic affects on the child’s achievement later in life. All these factors affect the overall family dynamics and functioning. For children to develop appropriately their home environment needs to be nourished with comfort, understanding, encouragement and curiosity and having a mental illness as a parent sometimes prohibits them from being able to understand their child’s development or how to challenge their child appropriately. Parenting is never an easy job and can be even more difficult for parents with mental health disorders, which brings about the importance of providing necessary programs for children affected.
Social effects on the children
Children who are brought up in a home with parents who possess mental health disorders are automatically affected in a social aspect. Research by Reupert and Maybery, 2007 support this thesis by arguing that parents with severe mental health disorders are unaware of the attention and nurturance children need in a social context. Children need
Introduction
It has been reported that 21-23 percent of children have or have had atleast one parent with a mental health disorder. These statistics raise concern about the wellbeing of children with parents who possess a server mental illness and the resources not just for the parent, but the child or children affected. Children require numerous amounts of needs from their caregivers and an issue with parents who carry a severe mental health disorder is that the parents are unable to provide necessary needs due to their disorder and symptoms associated. Parents who possess a mental health disorder may unconsciously put their child at risk if proper attention isn’t given to the child’s development. Although these risks can be indirectly and unconsciously such as the social stigma attached to mental health disorders, mental effects on the child, genetic predisposition to mental illnesses themselves and the academic affects on the child’s achievement later in life. All these factors affect the overall family dynamics and functioning. For children to develop appropriately their home environment needs to be nourished with comfort, understanding, encouragement and curiosity and having a mental illness as a parent sometimes prohibits them from being able to understand their child’s development or how to challenge their child appropriately. Parenting is never an easy job and can be even more difficult for parents with mental health disorders, which brings about the importance of providing necessary programs for children affected.
Social effects on the children
Children who are brought up in a home with parents who possess mental health disorders are automatically affected in a social aspect. Research by Reupert and Maybery, 2007 support this thesis by arguing that parents with severe mental health disorders are unaware of the attention and nurturance children need in a social context. Children need