Effects of Family Structure on Mental Health of Children: A Preliminary Study

Byline: Aniruddh. Behere, Pravesh. Basnet, Pamela. Campbell Background: To find any association between family structure and rates of hospitalization as an indicator for behavior problems in children. Methods: Retrospective chart review of 154 patients who were admitted to the preadolescent unit at Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center between July and December 2012. Results: We found that only 11% of children came from intact families living with biological parents while 89% had some kind of disruption in their family structure. Two-third of the children in the study population had been exposed to trauma with physical abuse seen in 36% of cases. Seventy-one percent had reported either a parent or a sibling with a psychiatric disorder. Children coming from biologically family were less likely to have been exposed to trauma. Children coming from single/divorced families were less likely to have been exposed to sexual abuse but more likely to have a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to other types of families. Strong association was found between exposure to trauma and certain diagnoses in respect to hospitalization. ADHD predicted a 4 times likelihood of having more than one previous hospitalization, with mood disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and physical abuse increasing the risk by more than twice. Conclusions: Significant differences in family structure were demonstrated in our study of children being admitted to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. The presence of trauma and family psychiatric history predicted higher rates of readmission. Our study highlighted the role of psychosocial factors, namely, family structure and its adverse effects on the mental well-being of children. Introduction The interest in family structure and its effects on children's mental health gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s when there was a spike in divorce rates and single-parent families. The main focus was on separation and divorce and their impact on the well-being of children.[sup][1] Over the years, there has been a change in the family structure reflected in the increased proportion of children living in a single-parent home which changed from 12% in 1960 to 28% in 2003.[sup][2] These studies were also able to document some of the long-term effects of stress as a result of separation on children.[sup][1] According to 2001–2007, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates about half of children live with their biological parents. This does vary across race and falls down to almost 24% when dealing with African-American children. Single parents Reviewing the literature, it also becomes clear that single parenthood becomes a clear risk factor for mental health problems for both children and adults, leading to greater psychological distress and depression,[sup][3] and puts women at a socioeconomic disadvantage further increasing the level of stress.[sup][4] Several studies have also documented the link between separation and depressive disorders most likely as a result of both social and economic reasons.[sup][5] Weisman et al . 1987 found that single Caucasian women were almost twice as likely to suffer from depression compared to married women. Over the years, there has been a general consensus that single-parent families are at a greater disadvantage compared to more traditional homes. The factors associated with worse outcome in single-parent families maybe more complicated than first evident. Single-parent families are also suggested to have less resilience when confronting stress. Single parenthood raises further economic challenges compounding the level of stress, possibly causing more difficulties in parent–child relationships. The prevalence of poverty in single-parent family has been estimated to be as high as 50% compared to around 5% in two-parent intact families.[sup][1] This economic disadvantage can further lead to higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems in children. …