A story of hope for lonely children
Tony Gillam Clinical manager of the Worcestershire early intervention service, a visiting lecturer, University of Worcester and the author of Reflections on Community Psychiatric Nursing
Children’s books that tackle parental mental illness are rare, so Tony Gillam is heartened to discover a child-friendly addition to this sub-genre
HAVING A loved one with a mental health problem is often stressful and overwhelming. But what if you are only a child and the person who is unwell is your parent? The impact of parental mental illness is well-documented (Falkov 1998, Aldridge and Becker 2003). In the case of depression, children often blame themselves for their parent’s illness, so it is essential that they are given hope that their parent will improve, reassurance that they will not develop the disorder themselves and greater certainty for the future (Garley et al 1997).
Mental Health Practice.
16, 8, 7-7.
doi: 10.7748/mhp2013.05.16.8.7.s12
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