There is potential for the non-ill parent to have psychological fatigue in which they become depressed or try to escape from the responsibility of constantly caring for an ill spouse by overinvesting in a career or other activities. Because of this, the developmental tasks of children may be compromised by the absence of support from non-ill parents, as well as by taking on more adult responsibility. 

Psychological Fatigue of Non-Ill Parent

Parentification is when children or adolescents are expected to provide emotional or practical support for a parent, instead of receiving that support themselves. This typically occurs before they are emotionally or developmentally ready to manage those roles successfully, which may result in adaptive and/or maladaptive outcomes. 

University of Illinois at Chicago

Research suggests that children of chronically ill parents are at an increased risk for adjustment difficulties and emotional and behavioral problems. 

Effects of parental chronic illness on children's psychosocial functioning 

Chen, C. Y. C. (2017). Effects of parental chronic illness on children’s psychosocial and educational functioning: a literature review. Contemporary School Psychology, 21(2), 166-176.

Effects of Parental Chronic Illness on Children’s Psychosocial and Educational Functioning: a Literature Review

Parentification

Several studies have compared a physically ill group with a non-ill group to investigate whether parental physical illness is associated with child functioning. Findings from studies have found that children with a terminally ill parent experienced elevated internalizing (i.e., anxiety, depression) and externalizing problem behaviors, diminished self-esteem, and deficits in social competence. 

Parental Chronic Illness and Children's Psychosocial Functioning

Children's cognitive processes and coping methods toward stress plays a significant role in their adjustment outcome. When encountering parental illness, children and adolescents may engage in different cognitive and adaptive processes to understand and interpret the meaning of parental illness and their roles in it. This includes thorough reflecting, adjusting, taking responsibility, and seeking respite. 

Child Adaptation Processes

Both group and individual child-centered interventions have shown some efficacy in helping physically ill patients and their families. Individual sessions and/or dyadic parent-child/family interaction activities to address illness-related issues are used to help. Moreover, group psychoeducational programs, aiming at preventing negative psychosocial outcomes by developing coping skills for positive adjustment, were developed for children of parents affected by HIV/AIDS.

Interventions for Children and Adolescents of Parents with Chronic Illness

Family systems theory characterizes the family as a set of interacting, interrelating members functioning in relation to broader sociocultural system and evolving over the life circle. Change in one part of the system will result in compensatory change in other parts of the systems. As a result of parental chronic illness, certain functions and roles need to be reassigned to other family members as the ill parent exhibits a change or decline in functioning, and this redistribution of functions and power requires adaptation within the family. 

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