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Sibship size, birth order, family structure and childhood mental disorders

Juan J Carballo1, Rebeca García-Nieto, Raquel Alvarez-García

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Jimenez Diaz Foundation, The Fundación Jiménez Díaz Institute for Medical Research (IIS-FJD). Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Avenida Reyes Catolicos 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain. jjcarballo@fjd.es

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
|February 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Being the middle child and living with both parents may protect against childhood emotional disorders (ED) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Large families may increase risks for conduct disorder (CD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychiatry
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Childhood mental disorders are a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding risk factors is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.
  • Family dynamics, including birth order and size, may influence child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of birth order, sibship size, and family structure on the risk of developing common childhood mental disorders.
  • To identify specific family-related factors associated with emotional disorders (ED), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale case-control study involving 16,823 subjects was conducted in Madrid, Spain (1980-2008).
  • Data were collected from individuals diagnosed at public mental health centers.
  • Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the independent associations between family factors and specific diagnoses.

Main Results:

  • Birth order and family structure were significant predictors for the risk of ED and ADHD.
  • Sibship size and sex were identified as predictors for the risk of childhood mental disorders overall.
  • Specific findings indicated that being a middle child and living with both biological parents were associated with a lower risk.

Conclusions:

  • Being the middle child and residing in a two-biological-parent household appear to be protective factors against ED and ADHD.
  • Larger family sizes were associated with an increased risk for CD, MR, and PDD diagnoses.
  • Further research is recommended to explore these complex relationships and inform clinical practice.
Abstract

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