Plain Language Summary

This research looks at how a child's health problems can impact the mental well-being of their mothers. Understanding these "spillover" effects is important because they shed light on the broader consequences of a child's illness or disability, not just for the child, but also for family members, particularly caregivers like mothers. The study uses data from a long-term survey called Growing Up in Ireland to analyze how different types of child health issues, including chronic physical and mental health conditions, affect maternal mental health over time.

The analysis finds that a child’s experience of chronic nervous system disorders is associated with a significant increase in the probability of maternal depression—by about 10.8 percentage points. Similarly, chronic mental and behavioral disorders in children are associated with a 5.1 percentage point increase in maternal depression. Interestingly, the strength of the association was found to relate to the severity of the child’s condition and the household's economic status.

These findings support calls for including the mental health outcomes of caregivers in evaluations of child health services. By better understanding the interconnectedness of child and maternal health, health policy makers will be more fully equipped to address the needs of families facing chronic health challenges.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding health spillovers in the context of child health services and suggests that future research should consider these impacts when assessing the effectiveness of interventions for children. Overall, this analysis provides valuable insights for patients, healthcare decision makers, and researchers about the substantial consequences that child health issues may have for the mental well-being of parents, particularly mothers.

^{Note: This content was created with assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) and has been reviewed and edited by ISPOR staff. For more information or for inquiries on ISPOR’s AI policy, click here or contact us at info@ispor.org.}