Parental mental health disorders linked to risk of early death in children - study

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) came to this conclusion after analysing the data of almost 3.6 million people. This is reported by Medicalxpress.

The results of the study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, showed that the presence of mental disorders in one or both parents significantly increases the risk of mortality in their children, from infancy to adulthood.

Participants in the study were Swedes born between 1973 and 2014. A total of 3,548,788 birth records were analysed, and it was possible to identify the biological parents for each child. The data were tracked until the end of 2023, covering the age group from 9 to 51 years.

Parental mental disorders were identified by diagnoses in the National Patient Register and included:

• alcohol and drug use disorders,

• psychoses,

• depressive and anxiety disorders,

• personality disorders,

• eating disorders,

• mental retardation.

The causes of death of offspring were categorised as natural (illness) and unnatural (suicide, accidents and other).

The main figures of the study:
- Children with parents who had psychiatric diagnoses had a mortality rate of 7.93 deaths per 10,000 person-years.
- In children without such heredity, the rate was 3.55 per 10,000 person-years.
- The relative risk of death from any cause was 2.13 times higher in "vulnerable" children.
- For natural causes - 1.88 times, for unnatural causes - 2.45 times.
- If both parents were diagnosed, the risk increased by a factor of 3.35.

The highest risk was recorded if both parents were diagnosed at an early age of the child - from 1 to 2 years. In this case, mortality from any cause increased almost 5-fold.

The associations with parental mental retardation (HR 2.22) and addictions were particularly pronounced. Even with eating disorders alone, the risk was increased by 58%.

The authors emphasise that the results should send a message to the health and social support system. Supporting families where parents have mental health problems could be an effective way of preventing premature death in children.

Researchers are calling for further research to understand exactly what social and health care interventions can reduce these risks in the long term. Given the magnitude of the impact and the increasing risk with age, the study has important societal and clinical implications.