Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c4f8m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T20:19:33.176Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Children of Psychiatric Patients: Clinical Findings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

S. F. Cooper ,
C. Leach ,
D. Storer  and
W. L. Tonge
S. F. Cooper
Affiliation:
Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF; formerly Research Social Worker, Whiteley Wood Clinic, Sheffield
C. Leach
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
D. Storer
Affiliation:
Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster
W. L. Tonge
Affiliation:
Whiteley Wood Clinic, Sheffield S10 3TL
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Findings are presented on 42 children of school age, the offspring of 26 adult psychiatric patients. Psychiatric disorder was found in 19 (45 per cent) of the children, compared with 12 (26 per cent) of 47 children from a control group of families.

Families with disturbed children differed from the remaining families in the following ways: presence of frank marital discord, the diagnosis of personality disorder in the parents, the inability of the father to tolerate angry situations, and the presence of siblings of under 9 years of age. Six months later, 9 of the 19 children had improved considerably. In almost every family this was associated with improvement in the condition of the parents.

It is suggested that the psychiatric disorder of these children is reactive to the presence of emotional turmoil in the families.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 131 , Issue 5 , November 1977 , pp. 514 - 522
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1977 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anthony, E. S. (1969) A clinical evaluation of children with psychotic parents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 2, 177–84.Google Scholar
Coates, B. E. (Ed.) (1974) Census Atlas of South Yorkshire. Department of Geography: University of Sheffield.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. (1972) The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire. Maudsley Monograph No. 21. London: Oxford University Press Google Scholar
Graham, P. & Rutter, M. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child: II. Interview with the parent. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 581–92.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N. (1964) The patient's spouse. British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 159–73.Google Scholar
Robins, L. N. (1966) Deviant Children Grown Up. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1966) The Children of Sick Parents. Maudsley Monograph No. 16. London: Oxford University Press Google Scholar
Rutter, M. & Graham, P. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child: 1. Interview with the child. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 563–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, M. (1970) Sex differences in response to family stress. In The Child in his Family (eds Anthony, and Koupernik, ). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Rutter, M., Tizard, J. & Whitmore, K. (Eds) (1970) Education, Health and Behaviour. London: Longmans.Google Scholar
Rutter, M., Cox, A., Tuping, C., Berger, M. & Yule, W. L. (1975) Attainment and adjustment in two geographic areas: I. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 493–509.Google Scholar
Rutter, M., Yule, B., Quinton, D., Rowlands, D., Yule, W. & Berger, M. (1975) Attainment and adjustment in two geographic areas: III. Accounting for area differences. British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 520–33.Google Scholar
Shepherd, M., Oppenheimer, B. & Mitchell, S. (Eds) (1971) Childhood Behaviour and Mental Health. London: University of London Press.Google Scholar
Tonge, W. L., James, D. S. & Hillam, S. M. (1975) Families Without Hope: A Study of 33 Problem Families. British Journal of Psychiatry Special Publication No. 11. Ashford, Kent: Headley Brothers Ltd Google Scholar
Tonge, W. L. (1976) Problem family children grown up. Paper read at the Tenth International Congress of Psychotherapy. Paris, July 1976.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.