The study investigates the link between socio-economic position and risk of mental disorders

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.November 20, 2020

Researchers from the University of Helsinki, the University of Aarhus and the University of Manchester have studied the link between the socio-economic position of parents and the risk of children developing mental disorders later in life.

As research data, the project employed a cohort of around one million Danish children born between 1980 and 2000. Their parents’ income was measured in the year of birth and when the children were 5, 10 and 15 years old. . used at each measurement point, also allowing researchers to measure the fluctuation of income during childhood.

The mental health of the children included in the dataset was monitored from the age of 15 until the diagnosis of mental disorder or at the end of 2016, so the longest follow-up was until the age of 37.

Data on mental disorder diagnoses were obtained from the Danish psychiatric registry. In other words, study subjects identified in this way ended up being treated in a psychiatric hospital or outpatient clinic due to mental health problems. The overall follow-up period of the study was carried out from 1995 to 2016.

The results were published in BMC Medicine magazine.

Our study showed that the longer the children grew up in families with low-income parents, the greater the risk of developing a mental disorder. “

Christian Hakulinen, lecturer in health psychology, University of Helsinki

A quarter of those born in the lowest parental income quintile developed a mental disorder

Based on the study results, 25.2% of children born in the lowest parental income quintile developed a clinically diagnosed mental disorder at age 37. As a result, 13.5% of children born in the top parental income quintile developed a mental disorder over the same time period.

“Of the mental disorders studied, the only exception was eating disorders. In their case, parental low income was associated with a lower risk of developing an eating disorder,” says Hakulinen.

The results show that the longer the children lived in low-income families, the higher the risk of developing a mental health disorder.

“We observed that one-third of the children living in low-income families during their childhood were subsequently diagnosed with a mental disorder. At the same time, 12% of the children who grew up in the top income quintile were subsequently diagnosed. a mental disorder, “says Hakulinen.

Other measures in childhood to prevent mental disorders?

Although the study focused on Danish families, Hakulinen believes the findings can be used to draw conclusions in the context of other Nordic countries as well, as our health systems are quite similar in treating mental disorders.

“Mental disorders that reduce functional capacity are typically treated in secondary care in both Denmark and the rest of the Nordic countries, particularly if they appear in early adulthood,” says Hakulinen.

The results indicate that socioeconomic conditions in childhood are associated with the onset of mental disorders. In fact, Hakulinen would like attention to be paid to the prevention and treatment of such ailments already in childhood.

“Child-focused measures, such as interventions to support parenting, could particularly benefit low-income families. This would help address psychosocial risk factors, which financial challenges typically exacerbate,” notes Hakulinen.