Influence maternal background has on children’s mental health

Abstract

BackgroundIn this paper, we aim to discern how a mother’s health and her socioeconomic determinants may influence her children’s mental health. In addition to this, we also evaluate the influence of other household characteristics and whether or not the economic downturn has heightened the effect a parent’s social gradient has on their children’s mental health.MethodsWe use samples comprised of 4-14-year-old minors from the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS), undertaken prior to the crisis, and the 2011 SNHS, carried out during the crisis. The participating children’s mental health is assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mixed models are used to evaluate the influence a mother’s health and her socioeconomic status may have on her children’s mental health. We also add interactions to observe the effect specific socioeconomic determinants may have had during the economic downturn.ResultsThe risk of a child suffering from mental health disorders increases when their mother has mental health problems. Socioeconomic determinants also play a role, as a low socioeconomic status (SES) increases the risk of a child exhibiting behavioural problems, being hyperactive or antisocial, whereas when a mother has attained a high level of education, this significantly reduces the probability of a child having mental health problems. ‘Homemaker’ is the activity status most positively related to children’s mental health. The findings show that the Spanish economic downturn has not significantly changed children’s mental health problems and the negative effects of low maternal SES are no greater than they were before the crisis. The main difference in 2011, with respect to 2006, is that the risk of children suffering from mental health problems is higher when their parents are (long or short-term) unemployed.ConclusionsIn conclusion, both a mother’s health and her socioeconomic status, as well as other household characteristics, are found to be related to her children’s mental well-being. Although the crisis has not significantly changed mental health disorders in children or the social gradient of parents in general, at-risk children are the most negatively affected in the Spanish economic downturn.

Prevalence of possible depression and associated biosocial risk factors among adolescents in a private school in Chennai, South India

“…This is similar to studies done by Arroyo-Borrell et al, and Etherington et al, which shows mother's literacy status is one of the independent predictors of possible depression during adolescence. 21,22 Physical activity produces natural changes in the body which helps alleviate depressive symptoms. 9 Physical activity is one modifiable factor which can be used to reduce the risk of developing depression and as an effective adjuvant in treatment plan for depression.…”

Crisis económica y salud: lecciones aprendidas y recomendaciones para el futuro

“…Las consecuencias a largo plazo de las privaciones de los niños de hoy serán previsiblemente importantes en el futuro (Flores et al, 2014), de ahí que se abogue por la intervención pública temprana desde sectores como la educación para garantizar una nutrición adecuada. Arroyo-Borrell et al (2017), utilizan la ENS para analizar si el estado de salud de las madres y sus determinantes socioeconómicos pueden influir en la salud mental de los hijos. Entre los principales resultados mostrados por las autoras cabe destacar la identificación de que el riesgo del niño a padecer un desorden mental se incrementa con los problemas mentales de la madre.…”

Os efeitos permanentes de uma “crise infindável”: a Grande Recessão e as desigualdades na saúde em Espanha

“…This lack of association was corroborated by another study in Andalusia which, instead, found that the negative impact of the recession on mental health was concentrated amongst those with secondary education, whether employed or unemployed (Córdoba-Doña et al, 2016) The impact of the financial crisis on mental health appears to have differed between age groups. Specifically, the risk of suffering from mental health problems for children with unemployed parents was higher in 2011 compared to 2006 (Arroyo- Borrell et al, 2017). However, the apparent effects of the crisis on the mental health of the young population vary according to the data source (Aguilar-Palacio et al, 2015; Medel-Herrero and Gómez-Beneyto, 2017).…”