s case consisted of two siblings who share the same mother and father. Child A is a 12-year-old female and child B is a 10-year-old male. Child A and B live with their mother but spend time with their father one night per week and every other weekend. Mother and father have a good relationship and are civil for the children, however, father does not have a good understanding of mother’s mental health which can cause tension between them. That being said, this has not impacted on the relationship either child has with both parents.
The mother recently received a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. Emotionally unstable personality disorder is characterised by pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image and mood and impulsive behaviour (Knott et al, 2016). Families where a parent with dependent children has a mental illness are prevalent, with one epidemiology study finding that 21-23% of children live in such families (Maybery et al, 2009). It could be argued that a parent with a personality disorder is unable to provide their child with the stability and consistent emotional warmth that they require. That being said, the presence of a parent with a mental health diagnosis does not necessarily lead to adverse outcomes in families (Reupert et al, 2015). As discussed in The Family Options intervention which stemmed from the understanding that the disabilities conveyed by mental illnesses to individuals are context-related, and differ with the requirements and demands of a particular role – in this case, parenting (Nicholson and Henry, 2003). It was argued that the majority of parents aspire to have positive family experiences and productive relationships with their children, whose ages, stages, and, consequently, needs change over time. This proves more difficult to manage for parents with a mental illness. Therefore, the family options intervention model aims to encourage recovery and build resilience, focussing on the parents existing skills to improve wellbeing; making the stress of parental responsibility more manageable (Reupert et al, 2015).

The children were referred to children’s social care following the mother taking an overdose and self-harming. Mother was admitted to hospital for medical treatment but was not detained under section 5 of the Mental Health Act 1983. When mother was discharged from hospital, she admitted to feeling vulnerable and unable to meet her children’s needs. This meant that both children stayed with their father for approximately six weeks. This was not ideal for the children due to there being three other children in that household; two of whom have complex behavioural needs.