Life circumstances for children of mentally ill parents

Several risk factors have been associated with the increased risk of psychologic disorders in the children of mentally ill parents. The authors review known risk factors and especially environmental consequences of the parents' illness on children. The direct influence on children of being involved in psychotic actions due to psychotic misconceptions, ineffective parenting, and parent-child relationships is discussed; and the indirect influence on children of a chaotic home environment is also examined. Known protective factors such as intelligent children, good basic social skills of the parents, and a good relationship to a healthy adult carer are discussed with regard to preventive intervention.