DUGi

Influence maternal background has on children’s mental health

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In this paper, we aim to discern how a mother’s health and her socioeconomic determinants mayinfluence her children’s mental health. In addition to this, we also evaluate the influence of other householdcharacteristics and whether or not the economic downturn has heightened the effect a parent’s social gradient hason their children’s mental health.Methods: We use samples comprised of 4-14-year-old minors from the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS),undertaken prior to the crisis, and the 2011 SNHS, carried out during the crisis. The participating children’s mentalhealth is assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mixed models are used to evaluate theinfluence a mother’s health and her socioeconomic status may have on her children’s mental health. We also addinteractions to observe the effect specific socioeconomic determinants may have had during the economic downturn.Results: The risk of a child suffering from mental health disorders increases when their mother has mental healthproblems. Socioeconomic determinants also play a role, as a low socioeconomic status (SES) increases the risk of achild exhibiting behavioural problems, being hyperactive or antisocial, whereas when a mother has attained a highlevel of education, this significantly reduces the probability of a child having mental health problems. ‘Homemaker’ isthe activity status most positively related to children’s mental health. The findings show that the Spanish economicdownturn has not significantly changed children’s mental health problems and the negative effects of low maternalSES are no greater than they were before the crisis. The main difference in 2011, with respect to 2006, is that the risk ofchildren suffering from mental health problems is higher when their parents are (long or short-term) unemployed.Conclusions: In conclusion, both a mother’s health and her socioeconomic status, as well as other householdcharacteristics, are found to be related to her children’s mental well-being. Although the crisis has not significantlychanged mental health disorders in children or the social gradient of parents in general, at-risk children are the mostnegatively affected in the Spanish economic downturn

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