TY - JOUR
T1 - Hospital inpatient admissions of children of mothers with severe mental illness
T2 - A Western Australian cohort study
AU - Pierce, Matthias
AU - Di Prinzio, Patsy
AU - Dalman, Christina
AU - Abel, Kathryn M
AU - Morgan, Vera A
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by grants from the European Research Council (GA682741), the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (#303235; #458702; APP1002259; APP1080606), March of Dimes (#12-FY04-48; #12-FY07-224), Stanley Foundation and a University of Western Australia Research Collaboration Award.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2022.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Children of parents with mental illness face a number of adversities, potentially contributing to poor health.AIM: The aim of this study was to quantify the association between maternal severe mental illness and children's hospital admissions.METHOD: Record linkage cohort study of 467,945 children born in Western Australia between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2001. Follow-up was from age 28 days until fifth birthday. Linked registers captured information on potential confounders. Rate ratios and adjusted rate ratios measured relative change in the numbers of admissions and total days of stay, while rate differences measured absolute change in outcomes. Cause-specific increases were calculated for ICD-9 chapters and for 'potentially preventable' conditions.RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, children of mothers with severe mental illness had a 46% relative increased rate in hospital admissions (95% confidence interval = [38%, 54%]) and an absolute increase in 0.69 extra days in hospital per child, per year (95% confidence interval = [0.67, 0.70]). The relative increase in admissions was greatest in the child's first year of life (adjusted rate ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval = [1.64, 1.88]; rate difference = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = [0.30, 0.34]). Rates of admissions were increased for a range of causes, particularly injuries, infections and respiratory disease, and for conditions classified as 'potentially preventable'.CONCLUSION: Children of mothers with severe mental illness have a substantial excess in hospital use compared to children of well mothers. This vulnerable group should be targeted with interventions to avert preventable morbidity and premature mortality in later life.
AB - BACKGROUND: Children of parents with mental illness face a number of adversities, potentially contributing to poor health.AIM: The aim of this study was to quantify the association between maternal severe mental illness and children's hospital admissions.METHOD: Record linkage cohort study of 467,945 children born in Western Australia between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2001. Follow-up was from age 28 days until fifth birthday. Linked registers captured information on potential confounders. Rate ratios and adjusted rate ratios measured relative change in the numbers of admissions and total days of stay, while rate differences measured absolute change in outcomes. Cause-specific increases were calculated for ICD-9 chapters and for 'potentially preventable' conditions.RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, children of mothers with severe mental illness had a 46% relative increased rate in hospital admissions (95% confidence interval = [38%, 54%]) and an absolute increase in 0.69 extra days in hospital per child, per year (95% confidence interval = [0.67, 0.70]). The relative increase in admissions was greatest in the child's first year of life (adjusted rate ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval = [1.64, 1.88]; rate difference = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = [0.30, 0.34]). Rates of admissions were increased for a range of causes, particularly injuries, infections and respiratory disease, and for conditions classified as 'potentially preventable'.CONCLUSION: Children of mothers with severe mental illness have a substantial excess in hospital use compared to children of well mothers. This vulnerable group should be targeted with interventions to avert preventable morbidity and premature mortality in later life.
KW - Mental health
KW - childhood morbidity
KW - children
KW - parental mental illness
KW - parents
U2 - 10.1177/00048674221100161
DO - 10.1177/00048674221100161
M3 - Article
C2 - 35642532
SN - 0004-8674
VL - 57
SP - 528
EP - 536
JO - The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
JF - The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -
