Irrespective of their well-known increased risk for mental health problems, children of somatically ill parents are a clinically under-served as well as under-researched group. In this article, the author introduces the epidemiologic and clinical relevance of this topic and presents a theoretical framework for understanding the sequelae of a serious parental illness on minor-age children, based on family dynamics and developmental concepts. This is followed by a comprehensive review of current empirical studies in this field, with a special emphasis on results from a transnational European collaborative study (COSIP = Children of Somatically III Parents), which was coordinated by the author. The most important recommendations from intervention concepts published to date are summarized. The Hamburg COSIP Concept of Counselling for families with a somatically ill parent is introduced. The author concludes in some outlooks for clinical practice as well as future research.
