Stress can trigger emotional disorders in children

Published on Tuesday 21 October 2008 23:08

CHILDREN are more likely to develop emotional and behavioural disorders if they experience stressful events such as bereavement, divorce or serious illness.

A three-year study has 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 suffered a serious or chronic illness were also 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 per cent) of those who had emotional disorders in 2004 still had them three years later.

The research found children who lived in rented accommodation were also more likely to suffer persistent emotional problems.

The report, commissioned by the Department of Health and the Scottish Government, listed nine stressful life events: parental separation, major financial crisis, parental court appearance, serious illness, serious accident, bereavement, parental serious illness, parental mental illness and the end of a close friendship.

But children who went to clubs or groups outside school were less likely to develop disorders.