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In this session from the IN-CJ Newsdesk 2023, Dr Scott Yates and colleagues discussed the challenges faced by young people and families where a parent has mental health difficulties, and what might bring them into the criminal justice system. They draw on their experiences in various countries, and discuss how social services work with these families and consider some key messages from our research fields for how support can be improved so that its possible to minimise the risk of negative outcomes, including the need for criminal justice interventions.
- Scott is an Associate Professor in Psychology at De Montfort University. He has conducted research on many aspects of health and illness, and for the past decade has specialised in research around support for and experiences of families where a parent has mental health challenges.
- Joanne Nicholson of Brandeis University, Professor in the Institute for Behavioural Health and a clinical and research psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with parents with serious mental illnesses and their families.
- Brenda Gladstone of the University of Toronto, who is Associate Director of the Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research, University of Toronto.
- Rochelle Hine of Monash University. Rochelle is a lecturer at Monash Rural Health. Rochelle’s mental health research focusses on prevention and early intervention, grounded in a social justice framework and an understanding of the social and economic factors that influence mental health outcomes.
This IN-CJ Newsdesk session explored the realities faced by families where a parent lives with a mental health condition, examining stigma, systemic barriers, and the opportunities for more inclusive and rights-based support.
The discussion began by recognising the scale and complexity of the issue. A large proportion of adults with mental health difficulties are also parents, and many children who come into contact with child protection or welfare services live in such families. Yet their experiences are often hidden, shaped by stigma, poverty, and overlapping inequalities.
Speakers emphasised that stigma and fear of child protection services frequently prevent parents from seeking help, while children’s contributions as carers often go unrecognised. Where children are acknowledged as carers, their role is too often problematised rather than valued. The conversation pointed to significant gaps in how young carers are identified and supported, with inconsistent approaches across countries.
Cultural and systemic issues also featured strongly. Contributors from Australia, Canada, and the US reflected on how race, colonisation, and privilege intersect with parental mental health, leaving minority and Indigenous families particularly vulnerable. The framing of mental health itself was debated: should parental mental health be described as “illness,” reinforcing medicalised stigma, or as “difference,” which may open space for inclusion?
Children’s rights were a recurring theme. The group highlighted the need to balance parental rights with children’s right to be heard and taken seriously in service design and delivery. Speakers also called for co-design with lived experience in research and practice, and for greater reflexivity in examining how systems and professionals themselves perpetuate stigma.
This session underscored that families where parents experience mental health difficulties face challenges that are both personal and systemic. The path forward requires listening, inclusion, and cultural change—valuing children’s voices, reducing stigma, and reframing parental mental health within a more supportive and rights-based approach.
Listen to the full discussion in IN-CJ Newsdesk 2023 – Understanding the Needs and Challenges of Families Where a Parent has Mental Health Difficulties.