Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents: The Role of Parental Mental Illnesses: A...

Children and adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems pose considerable negative impacts on children's health and extend their influence into adulthood. Parental mental illnesses are prominent factors that may exacerbate these conditions. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of children and adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems and their association with parental depression and anxiety among children and adolescents residing in two districts of Herat city in 2023.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among schoolchildren (grades 5-12), between July and December 2023. Students' and their parents' socio-demographic data were collected via 13-item and 7-item questionnaires, respectively. Children's emotional and behavioral status was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for 11- to 16-year-old children and adolescents. Parental depression status was evaluated using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), while parental anxiety symptoms were assessed with the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Statistical analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 27).

A total of 1236 individuals, comprising 412 schoolchildren with a mean age of 13.5 ± 1.6 (11-16) years, 412 mothers along with 412 fathers were included in the study. The prevalence of students' self-reported total difficulties and prosocial problems was 19.2% and 4.1%, respectively. Of all parents, 88.3% of mothers and 75.2% of fathers experienced varying degrees of depression. Furthermore, 89.6% of mothers and 76.5% of fathers were diagnosed with some degree of anxiety. A significant association was observed between maternal depression (p = 0.014), paternal depression (p = 0.006), and paternal anxiety (p = 0.019) with children's Total SDQ scores. Of sociodemographic factors, child health status (p < 0.001), maternal nutrition (p = 0.037), and maternal health status (p = 0.023) demonstrated significant associations with children's Total SDQ scores.

The prevalence of children and adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems and parental mental illnesses is high in Herat city, and parental mental illnesses are significantly associated with these children's mental health problems. A multidisciplinary approach is required for effective prevention and management of this condition.