Abstract
Mental health can affect young people’s sense of wellbeing and life satisfaction, their ability to participate in employment and education, and their onward opportunities in life. This paper offers a rare opportunity to longitudinally examine mental health in a population-representative study of children aged 4–5 years to 14–15 years. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), this study examined maternally-reported child mental health over a 10 year period, in order to understand their initial mental health status early in life and its change over time, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Longitudinal models were fitted from ages 4–5 to 14–15 years. Results showed that child sex, maternal mental health, socio-economic status (family income, maternal education, neighbourhood disadvantage), maternal hostility, and child temperament (persistence, sociability, reactivity) are all independent contributors to child mental health at age 4. These effects largely persist over time, with the effects of maternal mental health increasing slightly over time. Persistence of these effects suggests the need for early intervention and supports. The independent contribution of these factors to child mental health suggests that multi-faceted approaches to child and maternal mental health are needed.
Highlights
Data Availability Statement: This paper uses unit record data from Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), this study examined maternally-reported child mental health over a 10 year period, in order to understand their initial mental health status early in life and its change over time, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Our findings show that a range of independent factors contribute to children’s mental health at age 4 years, including child sex, maternal mental health, socio-economic status, hostile parenting, and child
Summary
Data Availability Statement: This paper uses unit record data from Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The findings and views reported in this paper are those of the authors and should not be attributed to DSS, AIFS or the ABS. Data are available from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children authors. Gov.au/data/dataaccessmenu.html Users may Mental health is strongly associated with young people’s sense of wellbeing and life satisfaction, their ability to participate in employment and education, and their onward opportunities in life. Mental illness is a leading cause of health-related burden worldwide among young people (aged 10–24 years) [5], and has been identified as a cause of disability adjusted life-years lost in children and young people in Australia [6]. The shortand long-term consequences of mental illness can be profound, affecting educational attainment, substance abuse, violence, reproductive and sexual health, employment, relationship
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