Parents often make changes in their social and family life to accommodate their child, as caring for a disabled child can make parenting complex and a heavier duty. Around one-quarter of parents of children with disabilities reported that the role affected their social life with 30.8% reporting they have completely lost contact with friends, relatives, or extended family. Additionally, lower couple satisfaction was reported among these parents, with 21.2% reporting their relationship was strained, and 23.3% stating they lacked alone time together. Caring for a child with disability also often results in financial hardship due to increased expenses and decreased income—35.3% of parents reported an increase in their living expenses and 45.5% reported decreased labor force participation to take on their caring role. 36.3% of them reported decreased household income. These factors can lead to grief, isolation, stress, and eventually, mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

Reasons for Higher Prevalence of Mental Illness

A 2011 World Health Organization report estimates 93 million children with disabilities worldwide (1 in 20 children). A disability can affect a child’s health, communication, mobility, learning, and participation in families and society, potentially affecting their education and social outcomes. The impacts also extend beyond the children—parents of children with disabilities are frequently reported to be at increased risk of having mental illness compared to parents of nondisabled children.

Wesleyan University

Parents may experience stress, difficulties, and mental health issues from caring for a child with disability. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, this study investigates the prevalence of mental health issues, mental health service utilization, and costs in parents of children with vs. without disabilities. From a total of 4,935 children and their parents studied, the study concluded that there are high levels of mental health concerns among these parents in Australia, and mental health interventions are needed to support them.

Summary of “ Mental health outcomes and utilization of mental health services.”

Chen C, Bailey C, Baikie G, Dalziel K, Hua X. Parents of children with disability: Mental health outcomes and utilization of mental health services. Disabil Health J. 2023 Oct;16(4):101506. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101506. Epub 2023 Jul 6. PMID: 37517905.

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