Abstract: The aim of this article is to draw attention to the risk of dysfunction of the family system among families in which a parent suffers from affective disorders. The article is a review of scientific literature on family dysfunction and the consequences of affective disorders among parents. It presents the most common difficulties in implementing the basic functions of the family, specified by Z. Tyszka, and also indicates changes in its functioning caused by the occurrence of affective disorders in parents, which may contribute to dysfunctions in the family system. Material and methods: Review article Results: Review article Conclusions: Due to their specific nature, the parent's affective disorders may cause: risk of dysfunction in families. Changes caused in families, resulting from the health condition of a sick person, may significantly affect the implementation of functions assigned to the family, and thus contribute to the disruption of its structure and the proper fulfillment of tasks.