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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Mental Health in Relation to Parental Absence: A Systematic Review
Mohammed Barry1, Abdulaziz Alyahyawi2, Heba Jafar Sabbagh1
1Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Medical Journal
|June 4, 2026
Summary
Orphaned children show higher rates of depression, anxiety, and aggression. Despite these challenges, they also demonstrate resilience and self-efficacy, though findings require cautious interpretation due to study limitations.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Mental Health Research
- Systematic Review
Background:
- Parental absence significantly impacts child development and mental well-being.
- Orphaned children face unique challenges affecting their psychological state.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for effective childcare and support systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and evaluate existing literature on the mental health of orphaned children compared to non-orphaned children.
- To identify specific mental health outcomes associated with parental absence in children.
- To synthesize findings on psychological well-being, behavioral issues, and protective factors in orphaned children.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, MEDLINE, and Science Direct.
- Six studies met the inclusion criteria after screening 1017 studies.
- Quality assessment used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS), followed by meta-analysis where feasible.
Main Results:
- Orphaned children exhibited higher levels of aggression, depression, PTSD symptoms, and anxiety.
- Poorer psychological well-being, increased somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction were noted in orphans.
- No significant differences were found in resilience, self-efficacy, or internalizing/externalizing problems; meta-analysis showed increased anxiety (SMD=0.68, p=0.02) but not depression (SMD=0.77, p=0.10).
Conclusions:
- Orphaned children may experience elevated mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
- Internal strengths such as resilience and self-efficacy are present in orphaned children.
- Findings necessitate cautious interpretation due to limited studies and significant heterogeneity across diverse cultural contexts.
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