Featured Discussion 05

A recent report of a national study of Swedish children concluded that children growing up in single-parent households are twice as likely to have a mental illness such as severe depression or schizophrenia than their counterparts in two-parent households. Led by Gunilla Ringback Weitoft of the Swedish National Board for Health and Welfare, the study also showed that the children of single parents are at double the risk of committing suicide or developing an alcohol-related disease. Further, the study reported that girls living with a single parent were three times more likely than their peers to become drug addicts and boys were four times more likely.

The study, which was published in the British medical journal, The Lancet in January 2003, examined health records of nearly 1 million children over eight years. The authors noted that a "lack of household resources" was a major risk factor, and concluded that some, but not all of the differences could be accounted for by economic and social differences, as measured by receipt of social benefits and living in rented accommodation.

There have been no comparative studies to allow a determination of whether these findings are applicable to single-parent families in the U.S. However, because of Sweden's relatively generous welfare state, single-parent families there are considerably better off than many single-parent families in the US

The Swedish study leaves unanswered the questions of why and how these outcomes occur. There has been speculation that single parents dealing with financial hardships may be at risk of anxiety and depression, which may lead to children turning to drugs or alcohol as a coping strategy. Some researchers have noted that single parents' struggles to balance the responsibilities of work and family results in stress, leading to more critical parenting. In an editorial commenting on the study, Margaret Whitehead and Paula Holland of the University of Liverpool, England suggested that regardless of the reasons for the findings, there is a need to improve family circumstances to reduce risks to children. Specifically, these authors recommend children's improved access to healthy and safe environments outside the family, such as preschool, after-school, and recreation programs, and maternal and child health programs.

The question remains, what is the responsibility of a society to support children living in conditions that place them at risk of adverse outcomes? If single parenthood is indeed a risk factor, what kinds of social policy measures and/or community-level supports are needed to minimize the risks? What steps are needed to enhance the resilience of children and their lone parents and assure the likelihood of healthy development?

We encourage you to post your reactions to this commentary below, including your opinions about:

• What it takes for single parents to raise healthy kids
• Challenges facing single parents
• Effective family support programs
• Research findings about healthy single-parent families
  

Comments:

I think that difficulty and situations do cause problems to result, however, I don't think I would perhaps blame it on single parenting alone or call it a disease or illness. I think that to take some of the different components as has already partly been stated here and look at those and take them apart without any blaming and shaming and pointing fingers, but to find out where the real difficulties are so something can be done about them will be so much better for everyone. I think that dads have even a different situation then moms do partly because of early training for work then most moms do, traditionally moms have not been taught much about how to get paid for their work and dads have that is one difference. Also let me state here that I believe strongly that being a divorced parent is not the same as a widowed or never married parent and even being a widowed parent is different then being a never married parent. When we lump all this stuff in together for purposes of funding then what we get is gobbledy gook labels and not much facts to change anything with, really I do. Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by Janie Lee, M.Ed. at 01:10 PM

The phrasing of this discussion does, as others have pointed out, seem to imply a cause-effect relationship: single-parent households result in children with mental illness. Either way, it is a form of exclusion, and not likely to solve any of the very real problems that keep people with mental illness AND children in single-parent households in danger of losing the very things they need to survive. I mean life and death, not comfort.

My personal experience is that of an abusive relationship. Abuse is the misuse of power to control another person's actions. I wanted to make use of the treatments and therapies available to help my children with disabilities. My ex-husband simply did not want them to have disabilities at all. So he cut me off financially, threatened to kidnap, anything to keep me from poking my shiny needle into his family's nice little bubble.

There was a family history of mental illness, a genetic, no-blame situation, a biological condition. My ex-husband's mother was shunned because of it. My ex-husband himself probably inherited it, but if he were to be diagnosed, he would probably be shunned from his family, as well. My son's medical condition (bipolar disorder) has behavioral components, to be sure, but to say that our divorce caused my child's mental illness is as shameful as blaming my child for our divorce. Stress may exacerbate a mental condition, but it does not cause it.

STIGMA. A medical condition like mental illness is subject to blame and fear. So is single parenting. To some, so is being a woman... even being a child. There are many conditions that put people in a position of vulnerability, and our society (indeed, many societies) may prefer to push people out, mistreat or ignore them from the mainstream instead of creating a society that is more accepting of differences. Some of this fear may be economic, some may be a fear of weakening society as a whole in order to accept any vulnerability in it. It is too bad that we cannot learn how strong a tree that bends can be.



Posted Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at 12:20 PM

I think that children from single parent families turn out just as well as those with two parents i think u all talk rubbish because i am from a single parent family and i am fine i have no mental problems i have a stable home and family!! Posted Friday, June 16, 2006 at 06:39 AM

The end of my marriage...(Is not my child's fault even though you are using that as an excuse for the arguments that you were having-Janie)...many arguments between my former spouse and I had to do with how to deal with symptoms and behaviors that we did not understand were an emerging and severe mental illness (you are blaming your childs problems, because of your behavior, on them having a mental illness, the only mental illness I see here is the difficulty the child probably had from your arguments and attitudes in front of them, that was not a mental illness and that is wrong-Janie). The stressful situations, the lack of information and assistance, the stigma and sense of failing as parents did contribute to the end of our marriage (I believe your behaviors in front of your child led to them getting labeled and perhaps drugged and that is wrong-Janie). I know of statistics that document a high incidence of the end of marriages after a child dies. I wonder if the same isn't true for marriages when a child develops severe mental illness. (I wonder if you should have had a child involved in a destructive situation such as a bad marriage and then blamed them as it being their mental illness causing it, you are wrong! I feel for your child! -Janie) Posted Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 12:52 PM

I want to know why the researchers chose to frame the question from the perspective of single parenthood and its relationship to a child's mental illness and not simultaneously asking the question, "What is the impact on a marriage when a child has a severe mental illness?"

The end of my marriage is not my son's fault, but many arguments between my former spouse and I had to do with how to deal with symptoms and behaviors that we did not understand were an emerging and severe mental illness. The stressful situations, the lack of information and assistance, the stigma and sense of failing as parents did contribute to the end of our marriage.

I know of statistics that document a high incidence of the end of marriages after a child dies. I wonder if the same isn't true for marriages when a child develops severe mental illness.
Posted Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at 09:30 AM

Many single parents are victims of domestic abuse who have had to escape. Looking at prior conditions to the "singleness" of the parents may shed some light on whether there are subgroups of single parents whose children do better or worse. Poverty obviously is another factor that is much more common in single-parent households and clearly that affects mental health status. Finally, it should be very clear that a single parent will have to rely more on others to care for his/her children in many cases, so children's substitute care providers will exert an influence. Such factors as quality of daycare, how early the infant is separated from the primary caretaker, and whether or not the child has a "latchkey" experience during school years, all should be variables that are examined. We should also look at successful children of single parents and see what they may have received that the less successful did not. Being a single parent in and of itself is probably not the most important variable. Posted Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 12:14 PM

There has been little mention of where single parents (usually mothers with children) place on income per household. This disparity continues even when a divorce occurs in middle class families. The court systems need to reevaluate the true financial needs of raising children. Also, the state of mental health coverage for a large percentage of all households is not available. Posted Thursday, April 21, 2005 at 08:49 AM

Well I have both parents, but, my friends that are single parent are usually more sex active and they have done it at an earlier age. maybe its just a coincidence. Posted Monday, November 29, 2004 by Ricardo Callado at 10:33 AM

I strongly believe that a single parent household only becomes a disadvantage for the child if the parent in the household does not put the child first. I grew up in a single parent home headed by an alcoholic father, but he always made sure that us kids were taken well care of, and there is nothing wrong with myself or my two sisters. Now, myself and one sister are single mothers and our children have nothing wrong with them and are two of the brightest children in their class, largely due to our constant support of their efforts and achievements. Posted Thursday, September 9, 2004 at 02:58 PM

My 12 year old grandson is having problems.My daughter never married the father.They seprated when he was about 6 months and came back home.She worked and when to tech school to further her edcation. I took care of my grandson while she was at home. I would get up at night with him so she could get her rest. She got her own place after a year. The father has also been in his life also. He has him alot now that he is older. My daughter has had many boyfriend some live in with my grandson as he was growing up. His father also no about these men. He has said some things about my daughter and her live in boyfriends that was not very nice. The last two men she has had have been long relationship. One was five years. The last has been two years. My grandson hates this last live in boyfriends and is having problems in school and talking about killing himself. I now live out of state and not there to help. She has not been the best mother and like to go out alot when she wasn't working and i babyset as much as i could.Then she would leave him with people that were not the best. Got any advice that i can use to help my daughter and grandson that i love very much. I rasied my children alone for awhile before i remarried. I lost my husband in death. They love there stepfather very much. All this happen after she turn of age when all i could do is talk to her like a mother and tell her right from wrong. Thank you Posted Wednesday, September 8, 2004 by requi@cotterweb.com at 01:47 PM

not all kids who grow up in a single family household have disability problems, i grew up in a single parent household and there isn't anything wrong with me and theres probably nothing wrong with the rest of those kids. Posted Friday, April 16, 2004 at 12:03 PM

My oldest daughter was in an abusive relationship as well. It took divorce to solve the problems; and she is still trying to recover....My prayers will be with you. Posted Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 02:17 PM

my daughter is in a mental absue relationship with a ruling boyfriend . how can i help her.she listens to evberything he tells her includung seeing my grandchildren . anybody have any suggestions Posted Monday, February 16, 2004 at 03:59 PM

The marital status of the parent is easily measured. It's not so easy to count such things as: are both parents involved in child-rearing? If not married, does the custodial parent have a live-in partner, or parents or siblings, who are helping with the kids, or are they truly on their own? Is the income of the 2-parent family really higher than the single parent family?
It isn't whether Mom has a marriage license that makes the difference- but the time, attention and financial resources for childrearing. Counting 'single' parents doesn't mean a whole bunch, in and of itself, although it's extremely easy to measure compared with variables like parental involvement or income (who wants to answer that one?). Posted Monday, June 23, 2003 at 01:45 PM

I think we are spending entirely too much of our time and financial resource on studies to identify what can/might be wrong w/single parent families. Why not take a look at what is working and how to teach those skills? How about spending some of our financial resources on finding ways to close the earnings gap between men and women (a very brief look at the Oregon Employment Deptartment web site will show you that the wage gap is alive and well in our country)? While I think Dad's should be held financially accountable, I have to respect the woman who makes the choice not to involve the father. Maybe she decided to break the cycle, cut her loses and do the very best she could for her children. Being a single parent is not a 'bad' thing. It doesn't 'breed' another generation of individuals in the cycle of poverty, our government and society ensure that people have a very difficult time moving up in social class. It is very difficult to get 'permission' work on your GED if you are receiving public assistance. The public assistance program is such that an individual is expected to work -- no matter if they have no skills or education. We chose to over-look and ignore the unpleasant realities of our society and spend our resources over seas changing other countries to line our own pockets, rather than spend the over 30 billion dollars here at home taking care of our own people. I think that speaks volumes about what is important to people in this country. Everyone wants to see change, but I haven't seen many who are willing to do what is necessary to make change. How about funding prevention/early intervention programs instead of prisons? Posted Friday, May 2, 2003 at 03:23 PM

I would like to add emphasis to one of the points made in the original commentary-- this study was done in a country (Sweden) where economic supports to the poor are extremely generous relative to the United States. Currently, difficulties of poor single parents in the US are increasing. At the end of 2002, there were almost three times as many unemployed workers for every job opening as there were at the end of 2000. Low-income single mothers are receiving less public assistance than in 2000. New welfare reform legislation approved by the House of Representatives would make it harder to give mothers the assistance they need to find good jobs and care for their families. Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at 03:50 PM

In her earlier post, Bonnie Bernard makes the point about how adverse outcomes increase exponentially when risk factors start to pile up. We know this is the type of thing that can happen very easily for kids with mental health difficulties and their families. For example, when a child with challenging behaviors comes into the family, a marriage dissolves, the mother and children become impoverished, have to move into a neighborhood with fewer resources stretched further, mother's mental health is adversely affected, and so on. Apparently the study controlled for these factors separately, but its the cascade effect that I worry about. We need to find ways to offer support at the earilest possbile opportunities. Posted Monday, April 28, 2003 at 11:59 AM

After looking at the few post after i put down my first one I'd like to comment again. It is interesting to me that stigma seems to come up more then once. I see it as the biggest hurdle a single parent family must deal with. However, even though it is far too slow it is getting better. One thing that must be done is keeping up with paternity. I believe that it is the main starting point and also giving young teen girls the chance to come out with their sexual abuse issues. Ask young unwed mothers if they have been being sexually abused when they first go in for their pregnancy test, don't demand the information but bring it up and then again when they seek child paternity test. There will be a whole new set of questions and alternatives that will need to be addressed once the truth comes out. However, I think it could lead to a whole new understanding and set of supports being put into place as needed if we would just do it. I think that it could be the start of better things to come and cutting down on lots of really bad things these families go through. Rather then these girls being abused and then them and their children being mistreated for being caught in it. Posted Saturday, April 26, 2003 by Questions or want to talk con at 10:51 AM

As I read the Lancet study on the negative outcomes for
children and young adults from single parent families,
I found myself thinking how this study is an example of
not necessarily how one can lie with statistics but how
some of the most obvious findings are often ignored to
advance a hypothesis/position.

Basically, the researchers did find children and young
adults at twice or three times the risk for certain
morbidities and mortality when they are from single
parent families (spf)--the risk often increasing from
.33% to 1%!. HOWEVER, what they do not say is that
MOST of these young people do NOT develop any of
these problems!! Taking the numbers from the study's
own tables here are the numbers and %ages of
children and youth from single parent families that do
develop problems:

PSYCHIATRIC DISEASE IN CHILDREN &
ADOLESCENTS
•Out of a total of 31,669 GIRLS from spf, only 718
cases, i.e., only 2%developed psychiatric problems.
•Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, only 516 cases,
i.e., only 1.5%
developed " ".

PSYCHIATRIC DISEASE IN YOUNG ADULTS
•Out of a total of 31, 669 GIRLS from spf, only 309
cases, i.e., .9 of 1% developed...
•Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, only 279 cases,
i.e., .7 of 1% developed...

SUICIDE
•Out of a total of 31,669 GIRLS from spf, 709 or 2%
committed suicide.
•Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, 326 or less
than 1% "".

TRAFFIC INJURIES
•Out of a total of 31,669 GIRLS from spf, 608 or 1.9%
sustained traffic injuries.
• Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, 996 or 2.98%
sustained traffic injuries.

INTENTIONAL VIOLENCE
•Out of 31,,669 GIRLS from spf, 83 or .26 of 1%
committed violent act.
•Out of 33,416 BOYS from spf, 401 or 1.2% committed
violent act.

ALCOHOL-RELATED DISORDER
•Out of a total of 31,669 girls from spf, 365 or 1%
developed alcohol-related disorder.
•Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, 430 or 1.28%
""""

DRUGS-RELATED DISORDER
•Out of a total of 31,669 GIRLS from spf, 213 or .67 of
1% developed drug problems
•Out of a total of 33,416 BOYS from spf, 362 or 1%
developed drug problems.

Basically from all of the problems this study examined
we can say that anywhere from 97-99% of the young
people from single parent families did NOT develop
any of these morbidities. This, of course, confirms
resilience research findings that MOST children from
risk conditions, in this case being from a single parent,
family do NOT develop adverse outcomes. We know
that were risk conditions to pile-up (i.e., being from a
poor, single, drug-abusing, and/or physically abusive
parent) the above %ages would start to increase
exponentially, especially if there were not another
available parent or caregiver. Multiple risk, however,
was not the focus of this study. Moreover, remember
that Emmy Werner's classic resilience study found that
only 1 in 6 of her multiple risk subjects did not
overcome the odds.

I actually find the interpreting and reporting that is done
on many risk-based or problem-focused studies
(Judith Wallerstein's is another example) to be
detrimental to the well-being of the majority of single
parent families--confirmed by the best of scientific
studies-- that are raising their children to be competent,
confident, and caring people. I find it not only dis-
information but information that I fear reflects cultural
myths about certain groups of people. In other words, it
reflects underlying racist, classist, and chauvinistic
assumptions.
Posted Friday, April 25, 2003 by Bonnie Benard at 05:27 PM

I think that, to make most productive use of this information, we need to face the facts squarely. Without placing the blame on single parents who are doing the best they can, the results speak pretty unequivocally that there are risks associated with being brought up in single parent households. The researchers looked at a very large sample, including statistics from about 65,000 children of single-parent households and 920,000 children raised in two-parent households.



Researchers found children of single-parent households were at an increased risk for suicide or suicide attempts, mental illness, injury, and addiction. ***After adjusting for factors such as socioeconomic status, and parents' addictions or mental disease***, children of single-parent households were twice as likely as children of two-parent households to attempt suicide, to have a mental illness, or to have an alcohol-related disease.



Of the various interpretations proposed in previous posts, I would agree that this study does not take into account the fact that, when a challenging child comes into a family, marriages are very likely to suffer and often dissolve.


Still, it seems reasonable to me that having twice the emotional energy available for kids is a good thing and helps make it easier to parent more positively and patiently. With current cuts to supports and services, we are exacerbating the effects of poverty (independently a risk factor for children) as well as the stresses on single parents. We need to be moving in the opposite direction, with a comprehensive view of how to support families, but also with our eyes open about what the data are saying. Posted Friday, April 25, 2003 at 09:26 AM

What was the match for two-parent households? Happily married, middle-class, professional parents or perhaps stressed families with drug abuse, domestic violence, financial stresses or any number of issues. I have difficulty with the results given the lack of information about control groups, matched groups or any number of other issues. Perhaps we need to stop looking at single parents and just look at what issues of parenting or characteristics and skills of parents impact children's mental health or any other issues. The issue is far more complex. Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 11:36 AM

Judith Wallerstein's 10 year study of children post-divorce showed that the post-separation adjustment of the children was dependant on the parents post-separation adjustment those who were collaborative with regard to putting the children's needs first rather than conflictual did much better. Which for me points the way toward post-separation counselling and education about children's needs in a 2 household family. Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 11:30 AM

Another question comes to mind when reading this study. What is the mental health of the custodial and non-custodial parents. Was there woman abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse or alcholism/drug addition by the parents pre-separation all of which are linked to or cause negative outcomes for children. Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2003 by anna at 11:04 AM

Although the basic material needs of children and other easily measurable variables draw much of our attention, it would seem clear (based on intuition, and resiliency research) that social support is the core issue. I would like to see more attention given to children's need for continuity/security in their routines, and relationships.
I would also like to focus on the uniquness of each child and their need to experience relationships that value them and in which the child contributes in a meaningful way.
Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 08:34 AM

My daughter had mental health issues before I became a
single parent. One of my son's had mental health issues
also. I would hope you take this into consideration.
Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2003 at 09:20 PM

Do parents consider a child's academic failure in school to be more a direct cause of mental health problems than the fact that they live in a one-parent family environment? If they do, or if this situation is considered a major factor, what, if anything in the upcoming conference will address this possible issue?

A case a point: Dr. Hilde L. Mosse, head psychiatrist in the N.Y.C. public schools in the 1960's and 1970's served a 1000-student caseload of psychotic and "learning disabled" student-patients; by happenstance, she discovered a method of instruction, which she felt could give them the language skills they so desperately needed. She learned it and began to teach these students herself. She successfully cured both the illiteracy problems and the mental health problems of these 1000 children before her untimely death at age 72.

She chronicled her experiences with this group in a 714-page, 2-volume book, The Complete Handbook of Children's Reading Disorders, published by Human Sciences Press in 1982. Our Institute publishes this book in a one-volume paperback, and still has 100+ sets of the original hardcover editions, which we would be happy to donate to any mental health practitioner who wished to read about this unusual experience.

The book was later endorsed by such notables as Dr. Barbara Bateman, Prof. Emeriti of Reading, Learning Disabilities and Law, U of Ore., and the late Dr. Wm. Cruickshank, Prof. Emeritus of the Univ. of Michigan. Unfortunately, Dr. Mosse had passed away just one day before the book she considered the "capstone" of her life's work (she had written many other books in both German and English on childhood depression, the effects of the mass media on children, criminal and violent behavior in children and adolescents as well as on reading disabilities), came off press; because the publisherlost interest, there were few reviews at the time. Our non- profit agency tries to make other interested parties acquainted with it.

Dr. Cruickshank, an internationally known expert on learning disorders and disabilities, gave this glowing report on Dr. Mosse's work: "It is unusual that a doctor of medicine has become an authority on the theoretical and clincial aspects of reading. Dr. Mosse illustrates that authority extensively and intensively. Her original two volumes, now together in student paperback and appropriately subtitled, You Can Prevent or Correct Learning Disorders, is a compendium of significant information. It indeed could and should serve as a text for educational courses for teachers of children with learning disabilities as well as provide valuable insights for classroom and remedial teachers, parents, aides and others concerned with learning disorders. Here is a book by an author who knows her subject matter, who obviously knows disabled children and who understands appropriate intervention procedures. This book should be on the library shelves of every university and in the office of every professor of education, every superintendent, principal and disability specialist." Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2003 by M. McCulloch, Director, The Ri at 04:38 PM

Perhaps it is partially related to the stigma attached to being a single parent in the first place. Most unwed mothers have to beg for whatever financial assistance they get and their children do not have the things that children from well functioning two parent families have, lots of times getting only second best and appearing that way to others because of this. Our society has preconceived ideals and expectations for these children also which may tend to cause them to appear as unable or troubled children in the first place. Also these parents often do not have the funds for good attorneys or live in the nicer neighborhoods where you can talk to the attorney next door or go to the neighbors and solve it out of court. This often ties the families up in social systems that they find very difficult to get out of which is unfortunate. They may often have a problem with renting a decent home and getting good food for their children and providing a safe and stable environment. Single parents are not allowed the consideration to stay at home and be available to their children which has been seen as so vital. Also the amount of time that would be available to a single parent to be with that child due to other obligations and other stresses in thier lives would probably make a difference. Many single parents want to be socially acceptable searching for a mate and the first one might not be the right one bringing the children into contact with several different possible parents and if they get attached to the these people the vulnerability they face if it does not work out. Married women or even men often have the choice to stay home with their children while relying on the other parents income, which also gives the couple the flexibility to move up the ladder so to speak and get health insurance and other benefits on their job. Even when both parents work they ussually have a better extended family network available to the child. Married couples also get many more periods of respite because they have the support of some one else even if just for short periods of time and they have another person to give them emotional support. Our society values marriage and respects married mothers on the whole much differently. Married couples have more income on a whole and most of the time better extended family supports. One question that I have is did the family come from sexual abuse and illegitimacy such as in some cases of unwed teen pregnancy or was the family a result of divorce? This brings into affect different circumstances also such as extended family supports and resources such as alimony, health insurance and child support payments. Also the other issues that go along with being a sexually abused person and the way the child is felt about or the issues they may face because of this such as family arguments and siblings. The maturity of the parents must also be a factor a teen parent would raise a child differently then an older parent more mature parent I would tend to think. I think all children can do okay if they have one person in their life that really cares about them and if they are treated well by the society they are in. If any one wishes to contact me about these thoughts they may feel free to do so. Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2003 by mama_jane_4_2000@yahoo.com at 03:26 PM

I was a single dad of a daughter and found that support services were far from family centered. Fmily centered care means that services should be convenient and accessible. They were not. Since there was no extended family within 100 miles of me and my daughter, I had to rely on organized services.

Day care was not a problem as I could afford good care on my Social Worker salary, but accessing recreation services was nearly impossible because their hours of operation coincided with my work hours. If day camps operated from 730 am to 530 or 6 pm, my daughter could have gone. If scouting meetings went from 5-6:30 or 7 my daughter could have experienced scouts.

I received much social support from my primarily female social work colleagues,because not many men take on the primary parenting role but when a woman is a single parent it is taken for granted. We should not take single mothers for granted. Single parenting can be an overwhelmingly difficult role and parents, single and otherwise do not get the help they need.

The talk about family values seems to be mainly a way of denigrating those whose lifestyle differs. No one is putting their money where their mouth is. Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2003 by Steve S. at 03:16 PM

One question I have about this study is, did perhaps the child's mental illness and/or drug use lead to the family becoming a "single-parent" family? There are so many challenges and stages to parenting a child with mental illness, drug abuse issues, or a child that commits suicide: mis-diagnosis, diagnosis, anger, grief, stress, etc.--I know many marriages do not survive these challenges, and I am wondering it the study looked at the reasons that these children were raised in single-parent families, i.e., being raised in a single-parent family did not cause mental illness, but vice versa. Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2003 at 09:31 AM

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