Deighton, J;
Tanya Lereya, S;
Wolpert, M;
(2021)
Enduring Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence: Learning From the Millennium Cohort Study.
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
, 60
(8)
pp. 1030-1039.
10.1016/j.jaac.2020.11.012.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Enduring mental health (EMH) is a relatively new concept, which refers to a long-term state of not experiencing a mental illness (ie, enduring mental wellness). No analysis using this concept has been undertaken on UK data nor specifically in the childhood years. The present study seeks to consider the extent and predictors of EMH in children aged 9 months to 14 years who were part of the UK-wide Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). METHOD: Data derived from 13,310 children (49·4% girls) at ages 9 months and 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years were pooled to create with three categories: Enduring mental health (EMH), Some instances of mental health problems (SIMHP) and many instances of mental health problems (MIMHP). RESULTS: Less than half of children (41%) fell into the category of EMH, the rest had at least some periods of mental health problems. Factors associated with EMH relative to those with some instances of mental health problems (SIMHP) or many instances of mental health problems (MIMHP) included cognitive ability, lack of special educational needs, good emotion regulation, cooperation and enjoyment of school. Parenting and maternal mental health were also associated with EMH but only in comparison to those with MIMHP. CONCLUSION: Findings suggests that EMH is not the norm during childhood. Identification of the high association between both educational wellbeing and emotional regulation with EMH offer the opportunity for a potentially powerful combination of community and individual initiatives. These might include: supporting positive mental health of the primary care giver, systems to support early recognition, supporting positive parenting in the early years, enhancing school engagement, and strengthening the child's social and emotional skills, including cooperation, and self-regulation to prevent later mental health problems.
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