Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

How mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse anddomestic violence affect parenting capacity 65during pregnancy. Furthermore, the mother’s capacity to deal with her needy babymay be reduced by her own drug needs. The foundation of the developing relationshipbetween parent and child will be stronger when parents have the capacity to respondto their baby’s needs and find the reactions of their infant rewarding (Aldgate andJones 2006).Impact of multiple problemsWhile caution is needed in making assumptions about the impact on children ofparental mental illness, learning disability, problem alcohol/drug use and domesticviolence, it is important to acknowledge the ways in which these issues interact andthe extent to which such problems may be associated with other parental experiencessuch as abuse, neglect or loss in childhood (Bifulco and Moran 1998).Although a single issue such as mental illness may not detrimentally affectparenting capacity, there is considerable evidence that many parents also experienceother difficulties (Cleaver and Walker with Meadows 2004; Velleman and Reuber2007). For example, adults with mental health problems are more likely than thosewithout to abuse drugs or alcohol; similarly, those who abuse drugs have a markedlyincreased lifetime occurrence of diagnosable psychopathology (Spotts and Shontz1991; Beckwith et al. 1999).Mum describes herself as having a series of difficult life experiences. She reportsexperiencing domestic violence in all her relationships and has a variety ofphysical health problems and has intermittent chronic depression, specific learningdisabilities and agoraphobia. A family history of both learning difficulties andmental health problems exists.(Cleaver and Nicholson 2007, p.42)It is the ‘multiplicative’ impact of combinations of factors that have been found toincrease the risk of harm to children. For example, the risk of child abuse increased14-fold when parents had themselves been abused in childhood, if the parent wasunder twenty-one, had been treated for mental health problems or had a partnerwith violent tendencies (Dixon et al. 2005a, 2005b). Research has shown thatmothers who experience depression after childbirth, compared to those who donot, are 20% more dependent on alcohol (Woodcock and Sheppard 2002). Alcoholdependence linked to depression is generally associated with poorer, less consistentparenting. Research suggests that in such cases women’s capacity to empathise withand respond to their children’s needs is overwhelmed by their own needs where‘alcohol dependence is present alongside depression, there is greater concern about the‘dangerousness’ of the situation’ (Woodcock and Sheppard 2002, p.243).The prevalence of co-morbidity also places children of parents with learningdisabilities at increased risk of abuse and neglect (McConnell and Llewellyn 2000).In most cases where there are concerns over the safety and welfare of the children,parents with learning disabilities also experience poor mental and physical health,