Abstract
The analysis of the mental health in children under 14 years has become a research topic of global interest where the family can be a key factor for protection or risk against mental health problems. With this work, we intend to determine, employing binary logistic regression analysis, whether parental acceptance-rejection perceived by boys and girls can predict their mental health. Seven hundred sixty-two students participated, the average age was 12.23 years; 53.8% (n = 410) girls and 46.2% (n = 352) boys. We have used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), self-reported version and the Affection Scale children version (EA-H) for parental acceptance-rejection to assess mental health. The odds ratio (OR) of the logistic models reports that there is a greater probability of having mental health problems in boys and girls when they perceive that they are highly criticized and rejected by their parents. With our work, we highlight the importance of the environment and family affection on mental health. The perception of the children about the rejection, aversion, and criticism of their parents constitutes a risk factor in the manifestation of mental health problems.
Highlights
The results show that those jobs of the primary wage earner with lower categories are those most related to the presence of mental health problems in children [17], where parental rejection was more prevalent among parents with little education and a low family socio-economic level [18]
The dichotomous variables of the total score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Mental Health Problems), of the Internalizing Problems scale, and of the Externalizing Problems scale were used as dependent variables and as predictor variables, the four factors of the EA-H (Affection and Father communication, Affection and Mother communication, Criticism and rejection Father, Criticism and rejection Mother) were grouped as dichotomous variables (Normal = 0, High = 1) from the 80th percentile (p < 80 = 0, p ≥ 80 = 1)
The conclusions of this study strengthen the evidence of how the probability of having mental health problems, measured by the SDQ-self-reported version in Spanish minors, is more than double in boys than that in girls, this difference can be even greater when it comes to externalizing symptoms (Behavior Problems and Hyperactivity)
Summary
Survey 2006, carried out with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) [4], indicated that between 19.2% and 26.6% of the Spanish children and adolescents aged 4 to 15 years were at risk of suffering from mental health problems [5]. The analysis of the mental health of children under 14 years old has become a topic of research of global interest where the family can be a key factor for their protection or risk at the time they face mental health problems [7]. In this sense, there is a significant association between suicide attempts and relationship problems among the
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