In the UK 1 in 6 adults have a mental illness. Over half will also be parents; facing the dual challenge of caring for their children, and having to cope with their mental health problems. This means that nearly 3 million children in the UK have a parent with mental illness. Sadly, these children can often be invisible, and are rarely asked about their experiences, opinions and needs. Similarly, their parents often receive little support and guidance on how to talk to their children about their illness and how this affects their life together as a family.

Our group wants to come together with the children, parents, and the professionals working with them – from the NHS and third sector organisations. Together, we want to identify research ideas and priorities so that families affected by parental mental illness can be supported in the best possible way.

Our special interest research group would like to invite everyone, who is interested in parental mental illness, to our next webinar, on the 16th of June, 5pm-6:30pm. You will hear from a wide range of experts in the field and we would love to hear from you, too. Together, we hope to set new pathways to improve the lives of many children, parents and families that are impacted by parental mental illness.