Millions of parents are struggling with poor health, social isolation and worries about work and finances due to caring for a child with poor mental health, according to a new report.
In the UK, around 2.5 million children have a mental health issue. Thought to be the first research of its kind, the charity Parenting Mental Health has carried out an in-depth study, questioning 651 parents who are supporting a child with poor mental health to find out how it impacts their own health, wellbeing and day-to-day life.
Two-fifths of parents are seeking support or counselling for themselves, to help them cope with the challenges related to their child’s mental health, according to the research. The overwhelming majority (93.66%) of parents said that they experienced ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’ of stress and anxiety due to their child’s mental health challenges, while the remaining 6.34% had experienced ‘a moderate amount’ or ‘a little’. Not a single parent said they hadn’t experienced stress or anxiety.
Most parents noticed physical health changes in themselves that they attribute to this stress. Over half (53.82%) said they’d noticed ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’ of physical health changes, while 41.56% reported ‘a moderate amount’ or ‘a little’ change. Only 4.62% said they hadn’t experienced any physical health changes.
Most parents say that they feel their child’s mental health has impacted their sleep quality too. Nearly three-quarters (72.39%) noticed it had affected their sleep ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’, while a quarter (25.72%) said it had affected their sleep ‘a moderate amount’ or ‘a little’, with just 1.9% stating that it hadn’t impacted their sleep.
Parents also reported a huge worry when it comes to work and finances. Nearly all parents said that their child’s poor mental health had impacted their ability to work. Over half (54.26%) said it had impacted their ability to work ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’, while over a third (38.84%) said the impact had been ‘a moderate amount’ or ‘a little. Only 6.9% said there has been no impact on their ability to work.
More than two-thirds (69.50%) said they’ve had to take time off work because of their child’s poor mental health and 13% had given up their job completely because of their child’s mental health. The majority (70.22%) said that they’d experienced financial worries when caring for their child with mental health challenges.
Nearly all the parents polled said they’ve experienced changes in their social life or relationships with friends and family due to their child’s poor mental health, with over two-thirds (68.25%) experiencing ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’ of changes in their social life and friendships. Nearly two-thirds (62.16%) said they had experienced ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’ of changes with family relationships.
Suzanne Alderson, Founder of Parenting Mental Health, said: “Being a parent can be tough at the best of times. When you factor in the worries around caring for a child with poor mental health, it can feel impossible. Our research shows that parents are having to deal with so many challenges in relation to their children’s mental health, including being taken seriously by medical professionals and getting the right support through school. It can feel like a never-ending cycle of fighting to get the right support, all while learning about new medical terms, managing logistics and juggling work, life and caring responsibilities.
“Parents tell us they just don’t have the time or the energy for their own self-care or things like socialising, exercising, eating healthily or having proper sleep. If parents’ own physical and mental health deteriorates, they can’t give their best to helping their children. That’s why I set up Parenting Mental Health; to give families the support, skills and resources to help them through these difficult times. Having gone through all of this myself, I never want parents in the same situation to feel as alone and helpless as I once did.”
Suzanne founded Parenting Mental Health after experiencing the severe lack of practical and emotional support available for parents when her 14-year-old daughter was bullied, became depressed, and attempted suicide. The charity aims to support and skill 1 million parents through their child’s mental health issues by 2026.
What began as a Facebook group in 2016 has grown into a community of over 40,000 parents worldwide. Parenting Mental Health provides resources, such as books and courses, to help parents navigate this extraordinary and often unsupported and misunderstood experience. The charity emphasises the importance of parents prioritising their own mental and physical health and wellbeing as part of their caregiving role. And its community groups and services connect parents with others who understand their journey, helping to reduce the isolation and stigma that so many face.
The findings of the report are presented in the report – Parenting a child with poor mental health: A study of lived experiences Parentingmentalhealth.org/report-2024
