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Relationship between parental psychopathology, parenting strategies and child mental health

Findings from the GB national study

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Parental and child psychiatric disorders have been found to be associated, and this association can be mediated by other psychosocial variables, including parenting attitudes and strategies. As most previous studies included clinical samples, the purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between parental psychopathology and parenting strategies with child psychiatric disorders in a national survey population.

Methods

The sample included 10,438 children of 5–15 years and their parents, from representative UK households. Families were assessed on child psychiatric diagnosis, parental psychopathology, family functioning, and socioeconomic status. Parenting strategies included using rewards, physical and non-physical punishments towards their child.

Findings

Parental psychopathology scores (OR 3.99, 95% CI 3.13–5.09) and non-physical punishment (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.27–1.76) were associated with child psychiatric disorders. This association was particularly prominent among children with conduct disorders: parental psychopathology scores (OR 3.13, 95% CI 2.28–4.30) and non-physical punishment (OR 3.19, 95% CI 2.55–3.97). Absence of child psychopathology was associated with a combination of rewarding and non-punitive parenting strategies.

Conclusions

Although parents in the general population may be using less physical strategies than in the past, non-physical punishment is strongly related to mental health problems in children. Enhancement of positive parenting through universal and targeted interventions is an important preventive strategy.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the children, parents and teachers who took part in this study. This was funded by the British Department of Health and was carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Panos Vostanis MD & Alexandra Graves

  2. Greenwood Institute of Child Health, Westcotes House, Westcotes Drive, Leicester , LE3 0QU, UK

    Panos Vostanis MD

  3. Health and Care Division, Office for National Statistics , London, UK

    Howard Meltzer PhD

  4. Dept. of Brain and Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Robert Goodman PhD

  5. Dept. of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Rachel Jenkins MD

  6. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Traolach Brugha MD

Authors
  1. Panos Vostanis MD
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  2. Alexandra Graves
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  3. Howard Meltzer PhD
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  4. Robert Goodman PhD
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  5. Rachel Jenkins MD
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  6. Traolach Brugha MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Panos Vostanis MD.

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Vostanis, P., Graves, A., Meltzer, H. et al. Relationship between parental psychopathology, parenting strategies and child mental health. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 509–514 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0061-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0061-3

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