Abstract
BACKGROUND: This paper examines socioeconomic inequalities in mental health at school entry and explores changes in these inequalities over the first 3 years of school.
METHODS: The study utilises routinely collected mental health data from education records and demographic data at ages 4 and 7 years, along with administrative school-level data. The study was set in preschool establishments and schools in Glasgow City, Scotland. Data were available on 4011 children (59.4%)at age 4 years, and 3166 of these children were followed at age 7 years (46.9% of the population). The main outcome measure was the teacher-rated Goodman's Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (4-16 version) at age 7 years, which measures social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
RESULTS: Children living in the most deprived area had higher levels of mental health difficulties at age 4 years, compared with their most affluent counterparts (7.3%vs4.1% with abnormal range scores). There was a more than threefold widening of this disparity over time, so that by the age of 7 years, children from the most deprived area quintile had rates of difficulties 3.5 times higher than their more affluent peers. Children's demographic backgrounds strongly predicted their age 7 scores, although schools appeared to make a significant contribution to mental health trajectories.
CONCLUSIONS: Additional support to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds at preschool and in early primary school may help narrow inequalities. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds started school with a higher prevalence of mental health difficulties, compared with their more advantaged peers, and this disparity widened markedly over the first 3 years of school.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 27-33 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0143-005X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.Keywords
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Cohort Studies
- Emotions
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Mental Health
- Population Surveillance
- Residence Characteristics
- Schools
- Scotland/epidemiology
- Social Behavior
- Socioeconomic Factors