Parents ‘over-reliant’ on medication to treat mental health issues

More and more families are experiencing mental health problems and when they do, services are often inadequate, with an over-reliance on medication, according to a report published today.

The Barnardos study highlights how “parental mental-health difficulties alone present little risk of significant harm to children”, but the “absence of supports for both parents and children can compromise the child’s ability to cope”.

The report, entitled Patients. Parents. People. Towards integrated supports and services for families experiencing mental health difficulties, outlines how mental-health problems are often treated “in isolation, without recognising patients as parents and tailoring treatment accordingly”.