Objective To study the effects of children's disability on their parents' mental health status. Methods 128 children with cerebral palsy were selected and tested with gross motor function classification system (GMFCS),mental health conditions of their parents and 128 normal children's parents were tested with the Symptom Check-List 90(SCL-90).Data were analyzed by t-test and multiple regression analysis. Results Compared with the parents of normal children,the parents of cerebral palsy children had much higher SCL-90 total score and seven positive factors scores such as somatization,interpersonal relations,obsession,depression,anxiety,hostilityand paranoid(P＜0.01).Expense and newly diagnosed age of cerebral palsy children had relationship with their parents' anxiety and depression scores respectively,course of disease had an effect on total score and each factors. Conclusion Mental health status of cerebral palsy children' parents lags behind that of normal children' parents.Severity of children's disability, newly diagnosed age,course of disease and expense could affect their parents' mental health.