July 17, 2003
Research shows link between child and parental mental-health problems
Research from the Univerity of Washington’s Washington Kids Count project shows the emotional well-being of Washington children is strongly linked to their parents’ mental health. In turn, parents’ mental health is profoundly sensitive to their children’s emotions and behavior.
According to the Family Matters: Mental Health of Children and Parents report, elementary school children whose parents experienced symptoms of poor mental health or high parental aggravation (parents who feel stressed or angry toward their children) were almost five times as likely to have severe emotional and behavioral problems as children whose parents reported better mental health or only moderate aggravation.
For adolescents, the risk of having severe emotional and behavioral problems was almost three times greater if a parent experienced symptoms of poor mental health or high levels of aggravation.
Similarly, parents were about five times more likely to report mental health challenges if they had a child with severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Researchers also found that economic hardship, single parenting, unemployment, not completing high school, having a teenager in the house and latchkey child care were associated with poor parental mental health and high parental aggravation.
“Parents experiencing economic hardship are almost three and a half times more likely to report symptoms of poor mental health,” said Sheri L. Hill, assistant director of Washington Kids Count. “With Washington’s sustained high rate of unemployment and poor economy, many parents in our state are at increased risk for mental health problems. It is important to recognize that their children share this risk.”
In Washington, an estimated 30,000 children ages 6 to 11 and more than 40,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 have symptoms of severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Hill said a total family approach to mental health treatment is necessary to effectively address the needs of both children and parents. An increase in general support services for families and better coordination among providers is also in order, she said.
“This research confirms what we know from working with children and families on a daily basis: that treating the family as a unit is critical in treating mental health problems,” said Scott Hanauer, director of Children’s Home Society of Washington’s Cobb Center for Youth. “For children and families to succeed, we need a two-generation approach that addresses the needs of both children and adults instead of the current approach of focusing on one or the other. We help kids by helping their parents, and vice versa.”
The report findings were based on data from the National Survey of American Families (NSAF) conducted by The Urban Institute in 1997 and 1999.
Washington Kids Count researchers suggested several policy changes to improve mental health resources for children and families:
— Improve mental health delivery — Identify and treat emotional and behavioral problems promptly, and consider how one person’s problems affect others in the family. Support community mental health programs that serve both children and adults and provide integrated, family-centered care. Expand communications among services systems such as allowing schools and employers to refer families to mental health services. Train educational, social service, and all health professionals to recognize depression and other risks for mental health problems; make sure they are familiar with referral resources.
— Improve community services — Offer accessible support services such as adult education and vocational training to single parents, families undergoing economic hardship, and parents who are unemployed or have not graduated from high school. Reduce the number of young children left to care for themselves by creating flexible child care options and before- and after-school programs.
— Improve payment and insurance systems — Make family counseling and therapy a reimbursable insurance expense. Encourage health care providers and insurers to address mental health problems with the same seriousness as other physical problems. Encourage employers to support family counseling.
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For a copy of the report, the Mental Health Information Resources guide or more information about the conditions of children in Washington, contact Washington Kids Count at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at (206)685-3135 or www.hspc.org.
