Authors:
Hancock K, Mitrou F, Shipley M, Lawrence D, Zubrick S
Authors notes:
BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13(1):299
Keywords:
Intergenerational transfer, Mental health, Children, families
Abstract:
It is well known that children of parents with mental illness are at greater risk of mental illness themselves.
However the patterns of familial mental health problems across multiple generations in families are less clear.
This study aimed to examine mental health relationships across three generations of Australian families.
Both cohorts of children had greater mental health distress with higher SDQ scores on average if their mother or father had a mental health problem.
For children aged 8-9years, a history of mental health problems in maternal grandmothers and grandfathers was associated with higher SDQ scores in grandchildren, after controlling for maternal and paternal mental health and other family characteristics.
For children aged 4-5years, only a mental health history in paternal grandfathers was associated with higher SDQ scores.
The mental health histories of both parents and grandparents play an important role in the social and emotional wellbeing of young children.