Separation from their parents can be a traumatic experience for young children. This will especially be so if this separation is caused by their mother staying in a mental hospital.
On inquiry of the staff of some mental hospitals, and mental-health services the supposition proved to be true that small attention is given by the mothers' medical attendants to this harmful effect on the children. A suggestion is made to let a childpsychiatrist/-psychologist participate in regular meetings with the medical staff of the hospital of the mentalhealth service in order to defend the childrens interest when the decision about admission, leave or discharge of the patient has to be made.