39

Children growing up with a parent suffering from chronic complex psychic disorders are especially vulnerable. They have to grow up with a strong feeling of isolation and lack of understanding regarding the pathology of their parents. The participation of children with parent problematics in support groups has shown its benefits, as reveals the French example with children of alcoholic parents. Similar practices in the United Kingdom and Belgium with children of parents with mental health problems has revealed to what extent a support group can prove helpful with these children. This article briefly puts forward an insight into the experiences, as well as thoughts on the specific needs, of these children, in order to give a boost to the idea that group support should be developed with this population.