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Sibship size, birth order, family structure and childhood mental disorders

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine the role that birth order, sibship size and family structure have as risk factors in the development of common childhood mental disorders.

Method

A case–control study design was conducted (N = 16,823). The group under study consisted of all those subjects who had consulted with a psychiatrist/psychologist and had received a clinical diagnosis at public mental health centres within the Region of Madrid (Spain), between 1980 and 2008. A multiple logistic regression was used to explore the independent association with each diagnosis: emotional disorders (ED) with onset specific to childhood, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

Results

Birth order and family structure significantly predicted the risk of being diagnosed with ED or ADHD. In addition, sibship size and sex predicted the risk of being diagnosed with a childhood mental disorder.

Conclusions

We concluded that being the middle child and living with both biological parents appear to be protective factors against the development of ED or ADHD. Living in large families appears to increase the risk of receiving a CD, MR, or PDD diagnosis. Further research is warranted.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science [SAF2010-21849]. Dr. Carballo, Dr. Garcia-Nieto, and Dr. Baca-García have received funding from the Alicia Koplowitz Foundation. Dr. Garcia-Nieto and Dr. Lopez-Castroman have received funding from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (RIO HORTEGA research funding). Dr. Lopez-Castroman has received funding from the Fundacion Española de Psiquiatria y Salud Mental. The authors thank Paloma Aroca for her assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Jimenez Diaz Foundation, The Fundación Jiménez Díaz Institute for Medical Research (IIS-FJD). Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Avenida Reyes Catolicos 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Juan J. Carballo, Rebeca García-Nieto, Raquel Álvarez-García, Irene Caro-Cañizares, Jorge López-Castromán, Laura Muñoz-Lorenzo, Victoria de Leon-Martinez & Enrique Baca-García

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  1. Juan J. Carballo
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  2. Rebeca García-Nieto
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  3. Raquel Álvarez-García
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  4. Irene Caro-Cañizares
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  8. Enrique Baca-García
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Correspondence to Juan J. Carballo.

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Carballo, J.J., García-Nieto, R., Álvarez-García, R. et al. Sibship size, birth order, family structure and childhood mental disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 1327–1333 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0661-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0661-7

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