Impact of parental mental health and poverty on the health of the next generation: A multi-trajectory analysis using the UK Millennium Cohort Study

The study used longitudinal data on 10,500 children from the nationally representative UK millennium cohort study.

The trajectories of poverty, maternal mental health, and secondary caregiver mental health were constructed from child age of 9 months through to 14 years.

The study is unique as it is the first to explore the life course mental health and poverty trajectories of both parental caregivers and their impacts on the health of the next generation at the point of transition to adulthood.

Methods: Researchers used data from 10,500 children in the UK Millennium Cohort Study, tracking poverty and mental health of both primary (usually mothers) and secondary caregivers from when the children were 9 months old to 14 years old. They then assessed the impact of these factors on the children’s mental health at age 17.

Results: Five distinct trajectories were identified. Children experiencing both poverty and poor caregiver mental health had significantly worse outcomes, including higher risks of socioemotional problems, mental health issues, and cognitive disabilities.

Discussion: Over half of UK children are persistently exposed to poor caregiver mental health and/or poverty, leading to adverse health outcomes. The study highlights the need for policies to address child poverty and parental mental health to improve long-term health outcomes for children and young people.

Implications: Addressing child poverty and caregiver mental health could significantly reduce poor health outcomes in the next generation.

These findings emphasise the importance of targeting these modifiable risk factors through public health interventions.

This research is an adopted NIHR ARC NENC project

It is a collaboration with the Institute of Women’s and Children’s Health (IWCH), part of King’s Health Partners.

With contributions from Professor Eileen Kaner, Director of the NIHR ARC NENC (as Co-Lead) and Professor Ruth McGovern, ARC NENC Deputy Theme Lead, Supporting Children and Families (as Co-Author).

Read our news item on this study – Child poverty and poor parental mental health are having a significant negative impact on the wellbeing of the next generation – ARC (nihr.ac.uk)

Read the full research paper – Impact of Parental Mental Health and Poverty on the Health of the Next Generation: A Multi-Trajectory Analysis Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study – ScienceDirect – January 2024