Keeping The Family In Mind, UK

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 11 Jun 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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What is it like to have a mentally ill parent? Family Minded, a report by leading children's charity Barnardo's will launch today (11 June 2008) to raise awareness of the stigma that surrounds mental illness and the need for all services working with a mentally ill parent to 'think family'.

It is estimated that one in six adults in the UK experience some form of mental illness during their lifetime. Family Minded features moving stories based on interviews conducted with children and young people from Barnardo's projects across the UK who have a parent living with mental illness. Barnardo's currently works with an estimated 14,500 children and young people across the UK, whose parents have been affected by mental illness. These services range from offering specialist therapies to help the family cope; providing parents with drop-in counselling and liaising with schools to make staff aware of the pressures a child may be experiencing at home.

Barnardo's Chief Executive Martin Narey said: 'Barnardo's experience is that, at times, children go unnoticed when a parent needs mental health treatment. Promoting collaborative working between adults' mental health services and children's services is critical. Everyone needs to remember the patient's crucial importance as a parent.'

Recommendations highlighted within Family Minded include:

- Offering age-appropriate information to help children understand and cope with their parent's mental illness.

- Making child-friendly visiting facilities available when parents are treated as hospital in-patients

- Continuing to raise awareness of the stigma that can surround mental illness and understanding how this can prevent some families from asking for help

Barnardo's Policy and Research lead on Mental Health, Alison Webster said: 'Children rely on their parents for emotional and practical support but when parents are affected by mental illness their role can become a struggle. Our proposals would mean that the whole family would get more of the support they need, during what can be a very difficult time.'

Notes

Barnardo's works with approximately 115,000 children, young people and their families in more than 394 specialised projects in local communities across the UK. This includes work with children affected by today's most urgent issues: poverty, homelessness, disability, bereavement and abuse. For more information about Barnardo's visit our website at http://www.barnardos.org.uk.

We believe in the potential in every child and young person, no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. We will support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child.

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http://www.barnardos.org.uk