Many more parents in Ireland may have been looking for help with raising their children in the past year due to the impact of the recession.

This is according to statistics from parenting advice service Parentline, which show more than 4,000 families turned to its phone line for assistance over the past 10 months, the Irish Times reports.

Chief executive of the group Rita O'Reilly said the figures show many people are in need of additional support due to the extra pressures in their lives at the moment, brought on by the recession and financial difficulties.

More than a fifth of calls related to "teenage issues" such as depression, discipline and staying out late, while 11 per cent were related to abuse.

Parentline, which is 30 years old in 2011, "allows parents to have space and somebody to share their concerns with in absolute confidence without judgment," Ms O'Reilly explained.

The statistics were released to mark the launch of Parents Week, which runs from October 17th to 23rd and aims to make adults aware of support services in their areas and try to determine how best to meet the needs of parents.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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