Impact of Psychosocial Environment on Young Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties

Regina Grazuleviciene,Inga Petraviciene,Sandra Andrusaityte,Birute Balseviciene

doi:10.3390/ijerph14101278

Regina Grazuleviciene, Inga Petraviciene + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101278

Copy DOI

Abstract

Objective: The impact of maternal psychosocial stress on young children’s mental difficulties is unclear. This study investigated the joint effects of the socioeconomic status and parent-child relationships on emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool children. Methods: The case-control study included 1416 mothers and their 4–6 year-old children pairs, living in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The parent-child relationships were measured using the Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscale. Children’s mental health difficulties were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We used logistic regression models to indicate the strength of the associations. Results: Lower socioeconomic status women more often than higher ones reported pathological mother-child relations. Low education level was associated with statistically significant increase adjusted odds ratios for emotional symptoms and total behavioral difficulties. With reference to the group of better-educated mothers and normal mother-child relations, low education and pathological mother-child relations statistically significantly increased the risk of total difficulties in 4–6 year-old children; the adjusted odds ratios were 2.45; 95% CI 1.51–3.99. Conclusions: Pathological mother-child relations strengthened the effect of lower education on the increased risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool-age children. Measures oriented towards health behavior and psychosocial difficulties management may decrease children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Highlights

Psychosocial environment in early childhood influences the health and well-being of the growing individual, and may impact the later development of emotional and behavioral difficulties in adults’ health [1,2]
Low education level was associated with statistically significant increase adjusted odds ratios for emotional symptoms and total behavioral difficulties
With reference to the group of better-educated mothers and normal mother-child relations, low education and pathological mother-child relations statistically significantly increased the risk of total difficulties in 4–6 year-old children; the adjusted odds ratios were 2.45; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.51–3.99

Summary

Introduction

Psychosocial environment in early childhood influences the health and well-being of the growing individual, and may impact the later development of emotional and behavioral difficulties in adults’ health [1,2]. The prevalence of serious emotional and behavioral difficulties among children varies significantly depending on the study methodology, and the criteria and methods used for mental health disorder estimation, it ranges from 5% to 26% [3]. The individual and contextual factors, such as the family’s socioeconomic status (SES), parenting stress, and other environmental exposures, may influence children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties [4]. There is some evidence that the impact of stressful parenting behavior on a child’s mental health might be associated with the child’s biological pathways through stress hormone secretion [5] and genetic sensitivity [6]. Stress and unfavorable environmental exposures may trigger epigenetic changes, leading to altered metabolic pathways involved in the etiology of chronic diseases [7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion