When your patient with a mental illness is a parent
Parents' mental illness can have a significant impact on their children. These patients often turn to GPs first for support regarding their parenting concerns
Mental health issues among parents are common, with Australian data suggesting that more than one-quarter of parents experience moderate to severe psychological distress.1
This article looks at the impact mental illness has on both parenting behaviour and children, and suggests how GPs can identify and support parents with mental health concerns and their families.
Giving parents timely access to evidence-informed resources and programs, such as those detailed below, can help build parenting skills and confidence, which in turn, can improve mental health and wellbeing.
