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Snapshots of America's Families D-3/Mental Health of Parents
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Snapshots of America's Families D-3/Mental Health of Parents
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Snapshots
of America's Families
Adults' Environment and Behavior
Mental Health of Parents
Jennifer Ehrie
Child Trends
A
child's well-being depends in part upon the mental health of his or her
parents. If a parent's mental health is compromised, he or she may be less able to nurture,
Kristin Moore
Child Trends
love, care for, and pay attention to the child. Several studies indicate that single mothers on welfare
with young children are at considerable risk of exhibiting symptoms of depression. Parents with such
symptoms provide less emotional support and tend to employ harsh disciplinary practices. Further,
children of depressed parents exhibit more behavioral problems, frequently display deficits in social
and academic competence, and are in poorer physical health than children of nondepressed parents.
It is not certain how changes in welfare programs
Children Living with a Parent Whose
will affect the mental health of parents. Mental health
Symptoms Suggested Poor Mental Health,
may worsen if parents have difficulty obtaining or
by State, 1997
keeping a job or if they have difficulty complying
CO
13
with more demanding welfare program rules. On the
MI
11
13
other hand, mental health may improve if a parent's
MN
14
job enhances family income or the parent's social
WA
14
contacts. The effects may not become apparent
WI
15
until after parents have taken on new employment
US
or reached welfare time limits.
MA
17
NJ
18
Children Living with a Parent Whose Symp-
NY
18
toms Suggested Poor Mental Health, by Family
AL
19
Income and Parent's Marital Status, 1997
CA
19
FL
19
Under 200% of Poverty Level
Over 200% of Poverty Level
TX
19
Assessing
35
All Incomes
MS
24-1
the New
Federalism
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
32
Percent
Urban:Institute Program
28
Source Child Trends and Urban Institute
to Assess Changing
25
25
Social Policies
20
Parents were asked to rate their feelings of anxiety
Percent
21'
20
and depression, loss of behavioral or emotional
17
15
control, and psychological well-being during the
past month. A score of 67 or less out of 100 points
13
Urban Institute
10
was considered indicative of poor mental health.
10
9
2100 M Street, NW
Nationally, 17 percent of children lived with a parent
5
Washington, 20037
whose survey responses suggested poor mental
health. Of children in families with low incomes
0
Phone: 202 61-5709
With a
Without a
All Parents
(below 200 percent of the poverty level), 25 percent
[email protected]
Spouse
Spouse
lived with a parent who had symptoms of poor men-
http://www.urban.org
Parent's Marital Status
tal health, compared to only 10 percent of children in
Source: Child Trends and Urban Institute
Adults' Environment and Behavior
Snapshot D-3 Mental Health of Parents
This Snapshot presents lindings
families with higher incomes, a statistically signifi-
Low-Income Children Living with
from the National Survey of
cant difference. Children of parents without a
a Parent Whose Symptoms Suggested
America's Families (NSAF). a
spouse were significantly more likely than other
Poor Mental Health, by Parent's Marital
1997 survey of 44,461 house-
children to be living with a parent in poor mental
Status and State, 1997
holds with and without telephones that
health percent versus 13 percent.
Parents with a Spouse
are representative of the nation as a
Parents Without a Spouse
In the 13 states surveyed, 13 percent to 24 percent
whole and of 13 states. As in all surveys,
of all children lived with a parent who exhibited
18
the data are subject to sampling variabil-
WA
symptoms of poor mental health. Three states had
24
ily and other sources of enor
22
higher percentages than the national average:
MN
27:
Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Five states had
20
Copyright © January 1999. Urban Institute.
MI
percentages below the national average: Colorado,
28
Permission is granted to reproduce this
17
Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
CO
document with attribution 10 the Urban
29
Institute and Child Trends. The views
Of children in low-income families, 20 percent to
24
FL
31,
expressed are those of the authors and
34 percent lived with a parent whose responses
21%
WI
do not necessarily reflect those ol the
suggested poor mental health. The percentage
31
Urban Institute, its board. its sponsors, or
of low-income children living with a parent in poor
21/
US
32
other nuthors in the senes.
mental health was higher than the national average
32
MA
in Massachusetts, Mississippi, and New Jersey.
32
The percentage was below the national average
21
NY
33
in Colorado and Washington.
24
AL
34
In low-income families where the parent did not have
23
a spouse, 24 percent to 40 percent of children lived
TX
34
with a parent who had symptoms of poor mental
21
CA
38
health. The percentage was above the national aver-
25
age in Mississippi and New Jersey. In Washington,
NJ
39
it was below average.
MS
26
40
The five-item mental health scale (MHI-5) was constructed for the
Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) using questions from the 38-item
0
10
20
30
40
Mental Health Inventory (MHI). Ware, JE, and D.C. Sherbourne. 1992.
Percent
The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Medical Care
Source: Child Trends and Urban Institute
30:473-81
Children (%) Living with a Parent Whose Symptoms Suggested Poor Mental Health, 1997
Parent's Marital Status
AL
CA
CO
FL
MA
MI
MN
MS
NJ
NY
TX
WA
WI
US
Under 200% of poverty level
With a spouse
23.6
20.8
16.6
24.1
31.7
20.2
21.5
26.5
24.6
21.2
22.6
17.5
20.8
20.9
Without a spouse
33.5
37.9
28.6
31.1
32.1
28.2
26.7
40.2
38.9
33.3
33.6
24.0
312
31.6
All parents
29.0
27.5
211
27.4
31.9
24.2
23.5
34.4
31.4
27.5
27.0
197
25.0
25.4
Over 200% of poverty level
With a spouse
9.2
8.7
7.7
9.6
9.3
7.3
8.6
10.7
11.1
92
9.4
9.9
9.1
8.7
Without a spouse
18,7
15.8
188
17.5
18.8
102
18.4
13.8
23.4
21.9
19.9
14.3
14.3
19.6
All parents
10.3
99
9.0
10.8
10.3
7.6
9.6
11.1
12.5
11.2
10.6
10.4
9.6
10.1
All incomes
With a spouse
13.8
13.7
10.1
14.8
13.5
10.2
11.5
16.9
13.7
12.9
14.6
12.2
11.9
12.7
Without a spouse
30.7
31.3
24.9
27.5
27.6
23.0
23.6
363
33.2
30.1
30.6
20.2
25.2
28.1
All parents
19.3
18.6
13.2
18.8
16.8
13.2
13.8
245
17.9
18.3
187
13.7
14.5
16.6
Figures in color represent statistically significant differences from the national average al the .05 confidence level Figures in black are not statistically significantly different from the national average. All figures in text, charts, and table are rounded.
Source: Child Trends and Urban Institute
Assessing
the New
Federalism
Adults' Environment and Behavior
Snapshot D-3
Mental Health of Parents