Prevalence and determinants of mental health problems among children in Mongolia: A population-based birth cohort

Abstract

BackgroundIn Mongolia, more than one-third of adolescents and children may experience mental health problems, but high-quality population-based data are lacking. In this study, the authors investigated the prevalence and the correlates of mental health conditions among school-age children. MethodsThe authors conducted a population-based birth cohort study with data collection between 2013 and 2016 in rural Bulgan, Mongolia. Mental health problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Mongolia). Protective and risk factors for mental health problems in six-year-old children were assessed using logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. FindingsA total of 1064 mother/child pairs participated, with a follow-up rate of 96.2%. Overall, 9.5% of children had abnormal emotional and behavioral scores (SDQ ≥17), rising to 20.1% when combined with borderline scores (SDQ ≥14). In the baseline analysis, smoking in family members (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.58, 95% CI 1.05–2.38) was positively linked to child mental health problems. In the follow-up analyses when children were aged 6 year, maternal depression symptoms (aOR 1.66, 95% CI 1.13–2.44), smoking of family members (aOR 1.54, 95% CI 1.06–2.21), and maternal alcohol consumption (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.02–2·33) were associated with greater incidence of mental health problems, while storytelling (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.42–0.99) and hospital visits (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38–0.79) demonstrated protective associations. InterpretationMarkers of low socioeconomic status were the most influential risk factors for children's mental health problems. Effective intervention toward family members' smoking, maternal depression and alcohol consumption, and increased attention to potentially protective factors, including storytelling and access to appropriate hospital care, may better support the mental health of children in Mongolia.