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A multivariate risk model for childhood behavior problems
Arlene Rubin Stiffman1, Kenneth G Jung1, Ronald A Feldman2
1Department of Psychiatry (Child).
Insights
Children with parents experiencing mental illness face behavioral issues. Their coping skills and environment significantly impact these problems, with specific factors explaining 40% of behavioral variance.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Children with parents suffering from mental illness are considered high-risk for behavioral problems.
- Understanding the interplay of environmental factors and coping mechanisms is crucial for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between environmental factors, coping skills, and child behavior problems in children with a parent diagnosed with mental illness.
- To identify specific environmental stressors and coping skills that influence behavioral outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 306 children with a parent experiencing mental illness.
- Analysis focused on environmental assets and deficits, including the proportion of mentally ill family members and mother-child discord.
- Assessment of coping skills such as activity competence and school competence.
Main Results:
- Two environmental stressors (proportion of mentally ill family members, mother-child discord) and two coping skills (activity competence, school competence) were significant.
- An interaction between the proportion of mentally ill family members and activity competence was identified.
- These factors collectively explained 40% of the variance in child behavior problems.
Conclusions:
- Environmental stressors and coping skills are key determinants of behavior problems in children with mentally ill parents.
- Targeting interventions to bolster coping skills and mitigate environmental risks may improve behavioral outcomes for these children.
Abstract:
In a study of 306 children whose parents have a mental illness, the relationship between coping skills and environmental assets and deficits determined the degree of behavior problems among these high-risk children. Two environmental stressors (proportion of mentally ill family members and mother-child discord), two coping skills (activity competence and school competence), and an interaction (between proportion of mentally ill family members and activity competence) were found to explain 40% of the variance in child behavior problems.