Parenting and mental health

This chapter will summarize theory and research on the impact of parental mental health, broadly construed, and associated circumstances on parenting. A brief overview of historical trends and theories in the domain of parenting research will be provided, followed by a review of relevant research on personal and contextual influences on parenting. This background will then be used as a basis for discussion concerning how intervention programs and social policy can be directed toward mental health promotion in the context of parenting. A critical goal of many family-oriented mental health professionals is to maximize the quality of relationships between parents and children. Understanding how to modify these relationships requires answers to several questions. How does parental psychological well-being hinder or enhance parenting? Which environmental influences promote optimal parent-child interactions and relationships, and which interfere with warm, supportive, and effective parenting? What types of prevention and intervention programs can be developed to enhance healthy parenting, and how can social policy initiatives support such programs?.