Should the mentally ill adopt children? How physicians can influence the decision.

No established criteria exist for determining whether a person with a mental illness should or should not be allowed to adopt children. The basis for opinion in such cases can be derived from previous custody cases described in the literature. The interest of the potential parent, as well as the child, must be a primary consideration. Physicians are often called on to make recommendations regarding the parental fitness of a mentally ill person. An intensive assessment of the potential adoptive parent, including a thorough history and investigation of the person's resources and support systems, is necessary before a recommendation can be made.