Project 466864

Having a child with a chronic physical illness (e.g., epilepsy, diabetes) can be detrimental to the mental wellbeing of parents; this can subsequently place children with a physical illness at an increased risk for mental illness. Of the, approximately, 50% of children with a physical illness 30-50% also have a mental illness (i.e., physical-mental multimorbidity). Thus, a large proportion of families are impacted. Previous studies assessing parental depression and childhood physical-mental multimorbidity have been: (1) conducted at only one time point; (2) focused on a few physical illnesses; and, (3) restricted to children under 11 years. To address these knowledge gaps, this project will use statistical methods to: (1) examine how depressive symptoms in parents of children with a chronic physical illness change over 48 months; (2) identify factors that predict parent depressive symptoms over time; and, (3) assess the associations between parent depressive symptoms and child physical-mental multimorbidity. This project will use data from a study of children aged 2-16, diagnosed with a physical illness, and their parents. To identify long-term effects, the mental wellbeing of the children and their parents will be assessed at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months. Risk factors that will be assessed include parenting stress, family functioning, and physical illness severity. The findings of this study will help identify parents at risk of negative depressive outcomes and allow for early referrals to healthcare professionals. It will also provide further motivation for the incorporation of physical and mental health services within pediatric settings. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to improve the health of children and their families.