Can I catch it?
Mental Illness
No! You cannot catch a mental health problem. Some mental health problems are said to “run in families” or be “passed on” from parents to children. Usually, this just means that people who have parents or lots of family members with a problem might be a little more likely to get the problem themselves. This is because we are made of little building blocks called “genes” and we have many of the same genes as our parents and relatives. But we are not exactly the same as our relatives, so there are very few health problems that always happen to a person if they have a relative who has the problem.
Looking after someone in your family can be stressful and this can lead to you feeling depressed or anxious so it is important to look after yourself.
