Treanor, M. and Troncoso, P. (2023) The indivisibility of parental and child mental health and why poverty matters. Journal of Adolescent Health, 73(3), pp. 470-477. (doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.04.012)
![[img]](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
303038.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. 1MB |
Abstract
Purpose: To ascertain to what extent parental and children's mental health wellbeing are inter-related over time. Methods: We used a birth cohort study of 5,217 children in Scotland followed up from birth to adolescence. We fitted a Random Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Model for parental mental health and children's conduct problems and emotional symptoms. We included longitudinal patterns of poverty as the main covariate and some demographic control variables. Results: The effects of parental mental health and child conduct problems and emotional symptoms on one another are roughly equal in early childhood. At younger ages, parents with poorer mental health tend to negatively affect their children's conduct and the conduct problems of a child seem to impact negatively on their parents' mental health. At older ages, it is children's emotional symptoms, but not conduct problems, that tend to have a reciprocal effect on parental mental health. Regarding structural inequalities, the effect of poverty on parents' and children's mental health is categorically the largest and continues to accrue throughout the whole period, intensifying mental health problems for both parents and children over time. Discussion: Children’s and parents' wellbeing is a bidirectional process. This interdependency needs to be acknowledged and addressed in policy. To foster children's wellbeing, we also need to foster parents' wellbeing. Furthermore, all interventions that address mental health and wellbeing in parents and children and that do not also tackle structural inequalities, such as poverty, will have limited success.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council through the following grants: (1) Understanding Children’s Lives and Outcomes; (2) Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research; and (3) University of Edinburgh 2022e2026 ADR U.K. Program (grant numbers ES/V011243/1, ES/S007407/1, and ES/W010321/1, respectively). |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Troncoso, Dr Patricio and Treanor, Professor Morag |
| Authors: | Treanor, M., and Troncoso, P. |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HA Statistics R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services |
| College/School: | College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies |
| Journal Name: | Journal of Adolescent Health |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 1054-139X |
| ISSN (Online): | 1879-1972 |
| Published Online: | 16 August 2023 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2023 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine |
| First Published: | First published in Journal of Adolescent Health 73(3):470-477 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
| Related URLs: |
University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record
Funder and Project Information
Funder and Project Information