Mental health of children and parents—a strong connection

While the relationship between parenthood and mental health and the direction of these influences on children are not fully understood, research confirms the following:

Parental mental health disorders are quite common and, without intervention, can negatively affect both parents and children. 

Children’s healthy development depends on their parents. Mentally healthy children are more likely to: 

• • • • • Have a positive quality of life
        • Function well at home, in school and in their communities
        • Reach developmental and emotional milestones 
        • Learn healthy social skills
        • Learn how to cope when there are problems 
        • Become independent and lead healthy and successful lives

Promoting mental health among all types of caregivers may further promote child health and wellness.

Read additional research on parent-child mental health.

The Child & Family Institute’s Parenthood Center offers the following services and treatments:

Behavioral parent training: Enhances the quality and use of parental attention and positive reinforcement at home—and helps to improve parent-child attachment, behavior, self-esteem and overall family emotional climate

Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT)-informed treatments: Enables parents to respond to their child more effectively to reduce inappropriate and undesired behaviors, increase compliance and self-esteem and improve the overall parent-child relationship.

Parent management training (PMT): Helps parents manage children or adolescents with moderate-to-severe behavioral difficulties, with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, effective communication, structure and consistency.

Attachment-based therapy: Helps the family build and strengthen the parent-child bond and the child develop into an independent, self-sufficient adult, especially for children who did not form a strong early attachment to at least one primary caregiver.

Perinatal / postpartum care: Provides therapy and other supports for women experiencing anxiety and depression from pregnancy through the postpartum period, which includes a surprisingly large percentage of women.

Maternal, paternal and caregiver mental health: Understanding the potential impact of parental mental or emotional distress on a child’s mental and physical health, prevention and intervention at an early stage of parenting are of great importance not only to the child, but to the entire family.

Infertility, endometriosis and mental/medical care: Provides care for individuals experiencing infertility problems for any number of reasons—including a painful, progressive condition called endometriosis—to mitigate feelings of loss, diminished self-esteem, stigma and further emotional distress.

Most parenting therapies may be used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Clinicians can advise on what combinations of therapies are best tailored to the parent, child or family, based on challenges and goals for the future.

Care at home

There are significant benefits for individuals of any age to continue appropriate care at home:

Follow self-care, medical care and practice new skills at home. Practice relaxation skills or techniques and activities assigned by doctors and psychotherapists to help see more results for parents and their family.

Rely on the coach. Therapists are coaches who can help parents develop new skills to handle challenges at home.  

Make it a high priority. Families committing more energy and enthusiasm generally see more progress with their child and improvements in overall stress.

Participate fully. In situations where parents need to be part of therapy with their child, they should attend all sessions and/or stay in close touch with the therapist in-person or by phone, defined as necessary by the therapist. 

Tell the therapist what is and is not working. Therapists can help parents solve problems, such as a lack of time or doubts about their child’s progress or their own rising stress levels.

Medications

Depending on the condition and its severity, several medications are available to work with therapy to relieve symptoms and enhance long-term effectiveness.

CONNECT TO CARE

References

BioMedCentral Pregnancy and Childbirth

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on perinatal mental health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on caregiver mental health

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Healthline

Mayo Clinic on separation anxiety disorder

Mayo Clinic on fetal alcohol syndrome

Medical News Today

National Institute of Mental Health

National Library of Medicine on the perinatal period