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Children of adults with severe mental illness: mental health, help seeking and service use

Eastern Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, 21 Ware Crescent, Ringwood East, Victoria 3135, Australia

Ernest S. L. Luk, Associate Professor

Monash University

Cristea Mileshkin, Clinical Director of Adult Psychiatry

Eastern Health Mental Health Service

Peter Birleson, Director

Eastern Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Victoria, Australia

Declaration of interest

None. This project was supported by a grant from the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund.

AIMS AND METHOD

We aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood mental health problems in children of parents registered with an Australian area mental health service, and to study the parents’ help-seeking and service use for their children. Parents were recruited through their case managers, and asked to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Service Utilisation Questionnaire and the Help-seeking Questionnaire.

RESULTS

A quarter of the children were in the clinical range of the SDQ total scores, with high sub-scale scores. However, 63% of the parents reported reluctance to seek help, and 19% reported not using services.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Children of parents with mental illness are at higher risk of childhood psychiatric disorders. Assessment of the child at the time of referral of the parent is an opportunity for problem identification, parental education, and early intervention.

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