The effects of parental mental illnesses on their children are grave and have severe
implications for them. It is noted that the academic performance of the children in school will
drop, their social sphere and interactions will be raptured, and they will have emotional torture
from their peers. However, this discussion predicate itself to analyze and reflect upon the beliefs
and attitudes that have been used in the past and the present to safeguard the children and their
effects in due process. On the other hand, the discussion will identify and develop an evidence-
based approach to protecting children and promote effective partnership working with
families and professionals. These guidelines will safeguard the development of the child
socially and behavior-wise. Effective decision-making has facilitated an ambient environment
for critical analysis, safeguarding issues as they arise, and assessment and management of
risks involved. Additionally, the United Kingdom’s, Brighton, and Hove’s legislation and
published research have been used to fight parental mental illness and its effects on
children. Finally, the discussion will look at the critical societal issues such as inequity and
vulnerability toward children.
Research findings show that societal beliefs have defined mental illnesses as forms
of religious and spiritual punishment (Uniteforsight.org, 2019, np). People in the ancient
times viewed mental illnesses as a supernatural phenomenon (Wsu.edu, 2018). The belief
had its footing that any mental illnesses were the works of evil spirits and witchcraft. People
in this era believed that for a person to be mentally ill, they were liable for some behavioral
misconduct that contradicted the ancient religious teachings. However, the treatment that
the older adults posed included trephination which involved drilling a hole in a person's
head using simple surgical tools and removing pieces of bones and blood clots after an
injury (Irving, 2013, np). Evidence has been assembled and stored to show the reality and the
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 3
process through which it was done. Kangxin and Xingcan (n.d. np) states that the primitive
procedure to cure mental illness left behind more skulls in five Chinese archeological sites.
Ioi the present time, mental health is viewed as a health problem triggered by the
various factors in play. Depression being at the peak of the causative factors and agents of
mental illness (World, 2019, np), has caused many deaths among young adults ranging from
15-19 years old. Ironically, people experiencing mental health have received a tiny amount
of attention despite asking for help (Apolinário-Hagen, Vehreschild, and Alkoudmani, 2017,
np). Despite the significant improvements in countries and institutes for mental illnesses,
more people have faced violations of their rights and freedom. For instance, these people are
denied the right to integrate and interact with the community members (the right to
community integration for people with disabilities under the United States and international
law – disability rights education & defense fund, 2012, np). Often, mentally ill persons in
the community have been blamed for various occurrences in the community. The ancient
and the present views of mental illness vary in different angles. The onset of the illness
however required treatment that was fundamental in the person’s lifestyle and way of living.
Difference in viewing angle differ in the methods and ways to cure the illness. Recent
reviews (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2017, np) suggest that children,
including teenagers, have exhibited signs of mental health including anxiety, depression,
and conduct disorder. The impacts of the parents who have mental illness have had
significant effects on their academic performances. However, the changing trends have seen
the employment of more nurses to help deal with the situation including the driving of
operations which will help children and mentally ill persons physically and emotionally
(Regis College Online, 2020, np). These nurses' mandate is to treat and manage mental illness
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 4
through medications, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy, and meditation. In the direction to
conclude, people in the ancient times treated mental illness as a disease from the gods and a form
of punishment. Similarly, the present and the ancient people worked in the same direction to cure
the onset of mental illness despite the difference in technology and fatalities. More people in the
ancient era could even die during the curing process unlike the present era where the number of
fatalities have reduced by a significant percentage
Evidence to safeguard children against child abuse from parental mental illness have
shown that, Australia has enabled the development of policies that will see the extermination of
child abuse with issues regarding the mental health of their parents and guardians
(citeseerx.ist.psu.edu, n.d. np). For instance, the product of a more comprehensive investigation
of professional decision-making realities, including case tracking. However, adopting an
evidence-based approach uses those available resources to manage and make critical decisions
regarding child abuse. These practices help strengthen the families of these children and reduce
child abuse cases. In identifying and developing these practices, more resources have been used
in due process.
Consequently, the effectiveness of this approach has guaranteed the development of children
mentally and socially. As a result, they are better equipped to deal with mental and societal
challenges. Coherently, these policies, according to (Helpdesk Research Report: Evidence about
the effectiveness of child protection programs in developing countries, 2013, pp. 1-15), help to
guarantee child protection by preventing abuse, violence, and exploitation to fulfill the children's
right. Recent studies statistically prove that that more than 1500 children die annually due to
neglect and abuse (Are You Familiar with These Important Facts About Child Abuse, 2022, np).
United States centers of authority have received many complaints and recorded a wide range of
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 5
cases that reported. More children who have fallen victims to these statistics have been those are
below three years, reflecting 75 percent of the children population.
On the contrary, parents supposed to give children refuge have incapacitated 78 percent of the
fatalities that the children face and endure. Children in these countries have faced abuse and
violence from the persons they look up to for protection. Reports have proven that neglect has
been the most common form of child abuse in the western countries and other countries
worldwide. Therefore, neglect negatively influences the child's physical and emotional growth.
This retard their growth, including brain development. The aftermath is that they will experience
psychological effects and experience low self-esteem. Other literature elucidates and show that
more than 4 million children have been referred to child protection agencies to work and take
action where possible. The united states being the leader in the counts of child abuse has
evidentially proven that, on an average, more than five children are dying daily due to abuse.
This is only in the united states of America; more than 600,000 cases have been reported to the
state agencies due to maltreatment and abuse. Communication has been a critical component in
the fight against child abuse. The best way to prevent child abuse is to talk to the community and
the child on matters concerning sexual harassment and abuse (First 5 Los Angeles, 2014).
Constant communication with the public and the child will create awareness in the communal
fraternity, and the rates and cases of sexual abuse will significantly drop. Ironically, these
children have fallen victims to sexual harassment from the people they know and have trusted.
Additionally, constant parent-child communication will break the taboo and help the parents
instigate their children's issues in tough times and try to help them. The change in the social
norm of parenting will have to be examined, and the necessary changes to take effect
immediately before the trajectory changes for the worst. Nurses, however, have played vital roles
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 6
in ensuring that the children and parents have a clear scope of the happenings. Similarly,
recommendations have been given to the public to prevent child abuse that have retarded their
growth physically and mentally. Constant parent child communication is key to de-cypher their
atrocities and try to help them. In my opinion, it is evident to say that communication is key in
the process to fight and help children from abuse that may lead to mental illness.
Effective decision-making has is an essential quality in managing and safeguarding
children's rights and protecting them against abuse. Major decisions have been made to
make a positive error in societies in the recent times and years. However, decision making
explains that the community will constantly learn and improve from the mistakes that have
been made in the past (Munro, 2018) either in the community or other communities around
them. Constant learning about the mistakes made will harbor major priorities to seal
loopholes that these organizations have faced in the pursuit to prevent child abuse. Recent
literature (Kirkman and Melrose -The, 2014, np) elucidates that significant policies have been
established to make social workers have a practical and social awareness to make critical
decisions that will impact the lives of children. Arguably, this will enable and help in the
planning processes.
Similarly, the processes to make an effective decision will always have its trajectory depend on
the crucial issues and matters (Harvard Business Review, 1967, np). Therefore, it is paramount to
solve problems that are of an acute degree, which will save many organizations that have made
their way to solve and fight child abuse. Opinions have therefore suggested that decision-making
is a critical tool most nurses should possess. The ability to think in the most vital state of child
abuse will make the nurse an essential tool in the fight. Concurrently, parents also should have
wise decision-making capabilities to focus more on the ways and procedures to raise their
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 7
children without harming them. To safeguard children from abuse, home visitation has been a
common practice. At the onset of maltreatment, the cases have been reported to the relevant
authorities to prevent continued abuse of these children. Consequently, authoritative bodies have
been mandated to assess the ongoing conditions of suspected child abuse cases in-some homes
and states. Over the years, more children younger than 18 years have experienced forms of
maltreatment and abuse in their homes. Nevertheless, to assess child abuse, more people have
confirmed that the same effect has had a fatal impact on their moral development and physical
growth. However, the problems people have faced have resulted from different factors that they
faced in their early life and childhood.
To manage risks involved in child abuse, the family, community, and individuals can play and
prevent its occurrence. Nurses, as caregivers, can create an ambient environment and
relationships with the children. It is eminent for Caregivers to seek knowledge, which will make
them employable in firms that have been instituted to manage the outcomes and results of child
abuse. Additionally, Families can also play critical roles that will help in the management and
control of child abuse. For instance, these families will embrace strong social support networks
and have good relationships with people. The effect will see the reduction of child abuse by a
significant rate and amount. Societal caring and protection of children reduces the rates of
children being abused having and experiencing abuse. They can provide clean and stable homes
to rehabilitate abused children. These recommendations will work well if the management of
institutions fighting child abuse enforce the ideas to the local people and have mass education on
the same.
United kingdom and Brighton and hove have been an exemplar to deal with and
correct the misfortunes children have to undergo in the face of abuse. The policies in the
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 8
U.K. have suppressed the feeling of loneliness and abuse among the children. For instance,
the government recognizes the past failings and suggests that every child who had died
deserved better from the government. The policy to protect each child and that they matter
an excellent initiative to game change the atrocities that children face. NICE has worked
tirelessly to ensure that children have equal potential to their peers by preventing and
avoiding abuse. Guidelines have been set to identify and deal with reported abuse cases
among children under 18 years. These guidelines have covered sexual harassment, neglect,
emotional damage, and physical abuse. Therefore, to allow for a full packed capacity action,
the organization helps practitioners, including nurses, to carry out assessments and
providence of early intervention.
On the other hand, working together to safeguard children suggests that children's lives are
crucial (H.M. Government, 2018, pp.1-116). The organization works tirelessly to provide
better and quality services to the children who need help. Additionally, it works to integrate
the system to work in the interests of the people and the children. However, the children's
activities in play strengthen the agencies in place to act in total capacity to deliver a pitch in
providing services to the afflicted people and the children. The agency works in full flavor
to prioritize the safety of children, keeping them free from maltreatment, and empowering
children through imparting them with knowledge. Children's activities in the U.K. have
enacted principles to protect the child's interests and rights. The enactment of these policies
has seen many dropped abuse cases. However, some sanctions will catch the perpetrators
facing legal action against them.
An example is that the guilty party may spend more extended periods in jail and
imprisonment. The legislation has worked hand in hand with the judiciary to see that child
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 9
abuse rates have been reduced. The agencies and policies will help children from poor
backgrounds have justice in cases of abuse and maltreatment.
Critical reflection on issues of inequity, recognizing the increased vulnerability of some children, families, and
communities to harm. (e.g., Social determinants of health, problems that increase exposure)
Social determinants of health (SHD) have had a detrimental effect on the people
accessing medical facilities and other necessities. Consequently, these factors have created
social inequities among the people of a society. One major SHD is that education has
enabled many people to have a healthy life and access better medication (World, 2019). On
the other hand, nurses must access education before performing any professional activity
and practice. Secondly, poor housing has contributed to the stunted physical growth of the
exposed child and children (Braveman and Gottlieb, 2014). Various factors have played a role
in increasing vulnerability among children and people. According to (Lowe, Ebi, and
Forsberg, 2013), natural disasters such as floods have significantly increased exposure.
Notably, flash floods in an area have left more people vulnerable to the weather and other
factors like mosquitoes. Climate changes have also played a role in making people more
vulnerable. The harsh climatic conditions will reflect the absence and low food production.
Hunger resulting from adverse weather conditions has made children and other persons
susceptible and may die in due course.
In sum, society has had a harsh judgment on that who suffer from mental illness. The
historical view elucidates that mental illness among people represented witchcraft or
religious punishment. However, people in this era had their form of treatment for this
occurrence. This involved drilling holes to the head of the affected and removing parts of
the charge they believed had a hand in the onset of mental illness. On the contrary, the
current view implies that the occurrence contradicted the people's beliefs in the past.
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 10
Psychological therapy has been used as a form of treatment. Nurses, therefore, have had
important input in the collaborative fight against mental illness to minimize child abuse in
many homes globally. Notably, evidence shows that the ongoing conversations have worked
collaboratively to reduce the effects of mental illness on children and reduce child abuse.
Therefore, identifying the children's abuse in times of hardship is critical to fighting the
onset of child abuse. It is then a practical idea to report the event and let legal activities and
sanctions work on the issue. Arguably, effective communication and constant parent-child
talks will positively affect the child and the process to fight child abuse. Effective decision-
making is the essential player in preventing and fighting child abuse. Nurses have the high-
end rank to perform to the best of their abilities according to their ability to make proper
and effective decisions. Different approaches have been employed to assess and manage
risks at different levels regarding child abuse. U.K. and Brighton and Hove have had
policies and children acts protecting them from abuse and maltreatment. To implement this,
the perpetrators of child abuse have faced legal actions that have seen most of them
imprisoned. Finally, the social determinants of health have created an environment that does
not provide a common ground for the people to work on. For instance, education will give
knowledge to the people that want to seek better medication and services. However, nurses
do need the education to perform in total capacity to prevent harm to the people.
Cognitively, vulnerability has been increased by the changes in climate. Flooding and
extreme temperatures have left more people more vulnerable and susceptible to hunger and
mosquitoes that will leave more children and adults dead.
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 11
Bibliography
Apolinário-Hagen, J., Vehreschild, V. and Alkoudmani, R.M. (2017). Current Views and
Perspectives on E-Mental Health: An Exploratory Survey Study for Understanding Public
Attitudes Toward Internet-Based Psychotherapy in Germany. JMIR Mental Health,
[online] 4(1), p.e8. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5378055/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
Braveman, P. and Gottlieb, L. (2014). The Social Determinants of Health: It’s Time to Consider
the Causes of the Causes. Public Health Reports, [online] 129(1_suppl2), pp.19–31.
Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863696/ [Accessed 15
Apr. 2022].
Harvard Business Review. (1967). The Effective Decision. [online] Available at:
https://hbr.org/1967/01/the-effective-decision [Accessed 15 Apr. 2022].
Irving, J. (2013). Trephination. [online] World History Encyclopedia. Available at:
https://www.worldhistory.org/Trephination/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
Kangxin, H. and Xingcan, C. (n.d.). THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF
TREPANATION IN EARLY CHINA. [online] Available at:
https://journals.lib.washington.edu/index.php/BIPPA/article/viewFile/11972/10597
[Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
Kirkman, E. and Melrose -The, K. (2014). Clinical Judgement and Decision-Making in
Children’s Social Work: An analysis of the ‘front door’ system Research report. [online]
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 12
Available at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/305516/RR337_-_Clinical_Judgement_and_Decision-
Making_in_Childrens_Social_Work.pdf.
Munro, E. (2018). Decision-making under uncertainty in child protection: Creating a just and
learning culture. Child & Family Social Work, [online] 24(1), pp.123–130. Available at:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cfs.12589 [Accessed 15 Apr. 2022].
The Right to Community Integration for People with Disabilities Under United States and
International Law – Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (2012). Available at:
https://dredf.org/news/publications/disability-rights-law-and-policy/the-right-to-
community-integration-for-people-with-disabilities-under-united-states-and-international-
law/ (Accessed: 14 April 2022).
World (2019). Mental health. [online] Who.int. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-
topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1 [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
World (2019). Social determinants of health. [online] Who.int. Available at:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1 [Accessed 15
Apr. 2022].
Wsu.edu. (2018). 1.3. The History of Mental Illness – Essentials of Abnormal Psychology.
[online] Available at: https://opentext.wsu.edu/abnormalpsychology/chapter/1-4-the-
history-of-mental-illness/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 13
Are You Familiar with These Important Facts About Child Abuse? (2022). Available at:
https://www.verywellmind.com/child-abuse-cases-and-stories-2633354 (Accessed: 15
April 2022).
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2017). Early Childhood Mental Health.
[online] Available at: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/deep-dives/mental-
health/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. (n.d.). Download Limit Exceeded. [online] Available at:
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.196.585&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
First 5 Los Angeles. (2014). Communication is Key in Preventing Child Sexual Abuse – First 5
Los Angeles. [online] Available at: https://www.first5la.org/article/communication-is-
key-in-preventing-child-sexual-abuse/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2022].
Helpdesk Research Report: Evidence about the effectiveness of child protection programmes in
developing countries
H.M. Government (2018). Working Together to Safeguard Children. [online] gov.UK. H.M.
Government. Available at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/942454/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_inter_agency_guidance.pdf.
Lowe, D., Ebi, K. and Forsberg, B. (2013). Factors Increasing Vulnerability to Health Effects
before, during and after Floods. International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, [online] 10(12), pp.7015–7067. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881153/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2022].
The Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children and Young People 14
Regis College Online (2020). What Impact Does Parental Mental Health Have on
Children? [online] Regis College Online. Available at:
https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/parental-mental-
health/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Academy,more%20likely%20
to%20follow%20suit. [Accessed 14 Apr. 2022].
Uniteforsight.org. (2019). A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care
System. [online] Available at: https://www.uniteforsight.org/mental-
health/module2#:~:text=Early%20History%20of%20Mental%20Illness,a%20religious%
20or%20personal%20problem. [Accessed 14 Apr.