Unmet health care needs in children of parents with poor self-rated mental health: justification for a “think-family” approach

Associations between parents’ self-rated mental health status and children’s (0–17 years) unmet health care needs were examined in the 2019–20 National Survey of Children’s Health. Compared to parents with excellent/very good mental health, parents with poor/fair mental health were more likely to report children as having unmet health care needs, more missed school days due to illness/injury, and poor/fair general health. Problems paying for health care, transportation or childcare, lack of parenting support, parenting stress and parents’ own physical health problems were identified as barriers. Parents with poor mental health may benefit from programs that provide parenting support.