Early Life Adversities and Mental Health Outcomes in Offspring

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024 | Viewed by 1340

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia
Interests: life course and perinatal epidemiology; developmental origins of health and disease; social determinants of health; maternal, child and adolescent mental health

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Guest Editor
Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina 0811, Australia
Interests: maternal perinatal mental health (both common and severe disorders) and outcomes such as birth, child health, development, and education; the developmental origin of mental health and intergenerational aspect of mental health; social outcomes; economic impacts of maternal mental health

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Guest Editor
School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia
Interests: mental health; child and adolescent mental health psychiatry; the developmental origin of mental health and epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Childhood is an important period for developing socioemotional and cognitive skills. Children’s brains are highly plastic, facilitating their learning and adaptation to the environment. Adverse experiences during periods of heightened plasticity may alter developmental trajectories via complex neurobiological and stress-mediated mechanisms that, in turn, increase the risk of socioemotional and behavioral difficulties in childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. While early detection and intervention of mental illness in childhood has immediate and long-term benefits, preventative approaches targeting this age group have been traditionally overlooked. This is concerning, since unidentified and untreated mental health disorders can have a debilitating impact on children, families, and communities. The association between Early Life Adversities (ELAs) and mental health problems is especially concerning, given that more than half of all children and youth will experience at least one ELA by adulthood, and ELAs account for the onset of roughly half of all mental health problems in childhood. This Special Issue, therefore, aims to advance the literature on this topic. High-quality research articles on this topic and the mechanisms behind the associations are welcome.

Dr. Berihun Dachew
Dr. Abel Dadi
Dr. Getinet Ayano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • adversities
  • early life
  • mental health
  • child health
  • maternal mental health
  • intergenerational transmission
  • social outcomes
  • developmental outcomes

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 577 KiB  
Article
Maternal Pregnancy and Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Behavioural Outcomes in Children
by Berihun A. Dachew, Akilew A. Adane and Rosa Alati
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14010049 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 988
Abstract
Reported associations of pre-pregnancy weight and/or gestational weight gain with offspring behavioural outcomes are inconsistent. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), this study aimed to examine these associations at five developmental stages between the ages of 3 [...] Read more.
Reported associations of pre-pregnancy weight and/or gestational weight gain with offspring behavioural outcomes are inconsistent. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), this study aimed to examine these associations at five developmental stages between the ages of 3 and 16. Over 6800 mother–offspring pairs at age 3 and 3925 pairs at age 16 were included. Pre-pregnancy underweight was associated with a 22% increased risk of total behavioural difficulties (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.02–1.45). In separate analyses using the SDQ subscales, pre-pregnancy underweight was linked to a 37% (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.14–1.65) and 33% (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.01–1.76) increased risk of emotional symptoms and prosocial behaviour problems over time, respectively. While pre-pregnancy overweight was associated with an 11% (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20) and 18% (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.03–1.36) increased risk of conduct and peer relationship problems, respectively, pregnancy obesity was associated with a 43% increased risk of emotional problems (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.16–1.77). We found no evidence of associations between gestational weight gain and child behaviour except for a reduced risk in prosocial behaviour problems (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.96). Our findings provide insights into the link between preconception BMI and child behaviour, underscoring the necessity for further research to validate these associations and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Life Adversities and Mental Health Outcomes in Offspring)
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