Author(s)

David Morley, Crispin Jenkinson

Department of Public Health, Old Road Campus, University of Oxford, Headington, UK.

Research focusing on the impact of parental illness has increased rapidly in recent years, with studies on a range of both chronic and acute illnesses having now been reported. A key and consistent finding is the elevated risk of depression that young people face when adjusting to and living with a parent experiencing such a condition. Examples from the literature include studies focusing on parental multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cancer, affective disorder and traumatic brain injury. Such a body of literature emphasises the need to recognise and manage the increased risk of depression that young people face when confronted with such parental conditions and that a more family centred approach to parental illness is required. Additionally, it is important that the potential threat parental illness poses to young people’s mental well-being is reflected in relevant clinical guidelines.

Adolescent; Depression; Parental Illness

Morley, D. & Jenkinson, C. (2012). The Importance of Recognising Depression in Adolescents Affected by Parental Illness. Psychology, 3, 756-757. doi: 10.4236/psych.2012.329114.