How do early-life factors explain social inequalities in adolescent mental health? Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Viviane S. Straatmann, Eric Lai, Theis Lange, Melisa Claire Campbell, Sophie Wickham, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, David Taylor-Robinson

13 Citations (Scopus)
6 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background Reducing inequalities in adolescent mental health is a public health priority, yet the pathways that link social conditions to mental health outcomes in the early years are unclear. We aimed to evaluate the extent to which early years risk factors explain social inequalities in adolescent mental health in the UK. Methods We analysed data from 6509 children captured in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Mental health was assessed through the socioemotional behavioural problems at age 14 (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). The main exposure was maternal education at birth, used as a measure of childhood socioeconomic conditions (SECs), and used to calculate the relative index of inequality. Using causal mediation analysis, we assessed how perinatal, individual child, family, peer relation and neighbourhood-level factors measured up to age 3-mediated the total effect (TE) of SECs on adolescent socioemotional behavioural problems, estimating the proportion mediated and natural indirect effect (NIE) via each block of mediators, and all mediators together. Results Children of mothers with no qualification were almost four times as likely to have socioemotional behavioural problems compared with degree plus level (relative risk (RR) 3.82, 95% CI 2.48 to 5.88). Overall, 63.9% (95% CI 50.2% to 77.6%) (NIE RR 1.97, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.37) of the TE (RR 4.40, 95% CI 3.18 to 6.07) of social inequalities on risk of adolescent socioemotional behavioural problems was mediated by early-life factors. Conclusions About two-thirds of the social inequality in adolescent mental health was explained by early risk factors measured by age 3, highlighting the importance of public health interventions in this period.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume73
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)1049-1060
Number of pages12
ISSN0143-005X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019

Keywords

  • SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • Lifecourse
  • Childhood Circumstances
  • EPIDEMIOLOGY

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