Stress link to emotional disorders
Updated on 21 October 2008
Children are more likely to develop emotional and behavioural disorders if they experience stressful events like bereavement, divorce or serious illness, a new study found.
The three-year study found children who experienced three or more stressful events were three times more likely to develop emotional disorders than those who had not.
Children who had experienced a serious or chronic illness were twice as likely to develop emotional problems, according to the report published by the Office for National Statistics.
Other factors which increased a child's chance of developing an emotional disorder included living in a single-parent household.
Children and young people were assessed in 2004 and again in 2007.
Almost a third (30%) of those who had emotional disorders in 2004 still had them three years later.
The research found children who lived in rented accommodation were more likely to suffer from persistent emotional problems.
More than four in 10 (43%) who had a behavioural disorder in 2004 still had problems three years later.
Persistent problems were said to be linked to the make-up of their household, the number of children in the family and the educational attainment and occupation of their parents.
Children who had a network of family and friends or were members of clubs or groups were less likely to suffer from disorders.
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