Relationship between maternal mental illness and the presence of mental disorders in children

Abstract

Introduction: Existing literature suggests that maternal mental illness (e.g., anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder) is linked to an increased risk of emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders in children. Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between maternal mental illness and mental disorders in children. Methodology: This was an observational, analytical, and case-control study. The “cases” were considered to be those patients who consulted at the Psychiatry Service of the Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo, Paraguay, between April 2014 and July 2017, who had a diagnosis of a mental disorder. The “controls,” on the other hand, were patients who did not have a diagnosis of any mental disorder. The variables studied were the mother’s age, child’s age, child’s sex, maternal schooling, place of residence, diagnosis of mental disorder in the mother, and diagnosis of mental disorder in the child. Categorical variables were summarized using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to establish associations between the variables studied, and the odds ratio was calculated with confidence intervals. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 162 children were included in the study (54 cases and 108 controls). Of the total sample, 52% were female. Regarding geographical origin, 53.7 % were from the Central Department. Regarding the presence of a diagnosis of mental disorder in the mothers, 35.2 % of the mothers in the case group had it, with the most frequent being major depressive disorder. The latter was also the most frequent diagnosis among the children included in the study. Regarding the odds ratio calculated for the presence of maternal psychopathology and the presence of child psychopathology, an odds ratio of 6.8 (95% CI= 2.7 - 16.9) was found (p<0.001). Conclusions: almost four out of 10 mothers of children considered as cases had a mental illness. Risk analysis indicated an odds ratio of 6.8, suggesting a significant association between maternal mental illness and mental disorders in children.