[sneak]

Not sure why you’re being downvoted; plenty of new parents let mental illness come between them and their responsibilities to their child/ren.

They didn’t have the option of neglecting their kids either; somehow it doesn’t stop them from doing so anyway.

[tasuki]

Wikipedia says "Depression is a mental state of low mood and aversion to activity" - that's what I meant.

Mental illness is I think a different thing. Depression doesn't imply mental illness, nor does mental illness imply depression. I understand and agree that many people let mental illness come between them and whatever. It's a problem. It's just a different problem.

[s1artibartfast]

Yet you used the word "let", which implies agency and choice.