Relative age in the school year and risk of mental health problems in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood

Thomas Broughton*, Kate Langley, Kate M Tilling, Stephan Collinshaw

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
75 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Purpose: Relative age within the school year (“relative age”) is associated with increased rates of symptoms and diagnoses of mental health disorders, including ADHD. We aimed to investigate how relative age influences mental health and behaviour before, during, and after school (age range: 4-25 years).

Method: We used a regression discontinuity design to examine the effect of relative age on risk of mental health problems using data from a large UK population-based cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC); N=14643). We compared risk of mental health problems between ages 4 and 25 years using the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and depression using self-rated and parent-rated Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) by relative age.

Results: The youngest children in the school year have greater parent-rated risk of mental health problems, measured using parent-rated SDQ total difficulties scores. We found no evidence of differences before school entry (estimated standardized mean difference (SMD) between those born on 31st August and 1st September: 0.02 [-0.05, 0.08]). We found that estimates of effect size for a one-year difference in relative age were greatest at eleven years (SMD: 0.22 [0.15, 0.29]), but attenuated to the null at twenty-five years (SMD: -0.02 [-0.11, 0.07]). We did not find consistent evidence of differences in self-rated and parent-rated depression by relative age.

Conclusion: Younger relative age is associated with poorer parent-rated general mental health, but not symptoms of depression.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)185-196
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Volume64
Issue number1
Early online date15 Aug 2022
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 15 Aug 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and the whole ALSPAC team, which includes interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. ‘The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 217065/Z/19/Z) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. This publication is the work of the authors and Thomas Broughton, Kate Langley, Kate Tilling and Stephan Collishaw will serve as guarantors for the contents of this paper’. A comprehensive list of grants funding is available on the ALSPAC website ( http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/external/documents/grant‐acknowledgements.pdf ). The primary outcome measures used in the paper were specifically funded by the Wellcome Trust (204895/Z/16/Z) for age 25 data. This work was undertaken as part of a PhD scholarship funded by Cardiff University Medical School. S.C. is grateful for support from the Wolfson Foundation. The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest. Key points

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

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