Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes

Kenneth  Okelo; Aja  Murray; Josiah King; Iain Hardie; Hildigunnur Anna  Hall; Emily  Luedecke; Louise Marryat; Lucy Thompson; Helen Minnis; Michael Lombardo; Philip Wilson; Bonnie Auyeung

doi:10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5

Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes

Kenneth Okelo^* (Corresponding Author), Aja Murray, Josiah King, Iain Hardie, Hildigunnur Anna Hall, Emily Luedecke, Louise Marryat, Lucy Thompson, Helen Minnis, Michael Lombardo, Philip Wilson, Bonnie Auyeung

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic deprivation has been linked to negative child developmental outcomes, including brain development, psychological well-being, educational attainment, and social-emotional well-being. Maternal mental health has also been linked to mothers’ parenting practices and their children’s developmental outcomes. However, limited evidence exists regarding the role of maternal mental health (prenatal and postnatal) in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and children’s developmental outcomes.
Methods: We examined the potential role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation (SED) and child development outcomes. We used a large linked administrative health dataset covering children born between 2011 and 2015 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Of the 76,483 participants, 55,856 mothers with matched children’s developmental outcome data were included. A mediation analysis model, adjusted for confounders and covariates, was used.
Results: Maternal mental health assessed by a history of hospital admissions mediated, but to a small extent, the relationship between SED and children’s developmental outcomes. The average direct effect (ADE), of SED in the first model with a history of hospital admissions, was ADE: ES= -0.0875(95% CI =-0.097, -0.08; p<0.001) and ACME: ES= -0.0002 (95% CI=-0.001, -0.0001; p=0.01). The proportion mediated by the history of mental health admission was 0.3%.
Conclusion: The association between SED and children’s developmental outcomes appears to be partially mediated by maternal mental health, although the proportional-mediated effect was very small.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	338–348
Number of pages	11
Journal	Maternal and Child Health Journal
Volume	29
Early online date	7 Feb 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5
Publication status	Published - Mar 2025

Data Availability Statement

Data is not available based on the data access policy of the government agency.

Keywords

mental illness
developmental delays
infant

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

Okelo, K., Murray, A., King, J., Hardie, I., Hall, H. A., Luedecke, E., Marryat, L., Thompson, L., Minnis, H., Lombardo, M., Wilson, P., & Auyeung, B. (2025). Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 29, 338–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5

Okelo, K, Murray, A, King, J, Hardie, I, Hall, HA, Luedecke, E, Marryat, L, Thompson, L, Minnis, H, Lombardo, M, Wilson, P & Auyeung, B 2025, 'Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes', Maternal and Child Health Journal, vol. 29, pp. 338–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5

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title = "Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes",

abstract = "Background: Socioeconomic deprivation has been linked to negative child developmental outcomes, including brain development, psychological well-being, educational attainment, and social-emotional well-being. Maternal mental health has also been linked to mothers{\textquoteright} parenting practices and their children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcomes. However, limited evidence exists regarding the role of maternal mental health (prenatal and postnatal) in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcomes. Methods: We examined the potential role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation (SED) and child development outcomes. We used a large linked administrative health dataset covering children born between 2011 and 2015 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Of the 76,483 participants, 55,856 mothers with matched children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcome data were included. A mediation analysis model, adjusted for confounders and covariates, was used. Results: Maternal mental health assessed by a history of hospital admissions mediated, but to a small extent, the relationship between SED and children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcomes. The average direct effect (ADE), of SED in the first model with a history of hospital admissions, was ADE: ES= -0.0875(95% CI =-0.097, -0.08; p<0.001) and ACME: ES= -0.0002 (95% CI=-0.001, -0.0001; p=0.01). The proportion mediated by the history of mental health admission was 0.3%.Conclusion: The association between SED and children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcomes appears to be partially mediated by maternal mental health, although the proportional-mediated effect was very small. ",

keywords = "mental illness, developmental delays, infant",

author = "Kenneth Okelo and Aja Murray and Josiah King and Iain Hardie and Hall, {Hildigunnur Anna} and Emily Luedecke and Louise Marryat and Lucy Thompson and Helen Minnis and Michael Lombardo and Philip Wilson and Bonnie Auyeung",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "338–348",

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T1 - Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes

AU - Okelo, Kenneth

AU - Murray, Aja

AU - King, Josiah

AU - Hardie, Iain

AU - Hall, Hildigunnur Anna

AU - Luedecke, Emily

AU - Marryat, Louise

AU - Thompson, Lucy

AU - Minnis, Helen

AU - Lombardo, Michael

AU - Wilson, Philip

AU - Auyeung, Bonnie

PY - 2025/3

Y1 - 2025/3

N2 - Background: Socioeconomic deprivation has been linked to negative child developmental outcomes, including brain development, psychological well-being, educational attainment, and social-emotional well-being. Maternal mental health has also been linked to mothers’ parenting practices and their children’s developmental outcomes. However, limited evidence exists regarding the role of maternal mental health (prenatal and postnatal) in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and children’s developmental outcomes. Methods: We examined the potential role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation (SED) and child development outcomes. We used a large linked administrative health dataset covering children born between 2011 and 2015 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Of the 76,483 participants, 55,856 mothers with matched children’s developmental outcome data were included. A mediation analysis model, adjusted for confounders and covariates, was used. Results: Maternal mental health assessed by a history of hospital admissions mediated, but to a small extent, the relationship between SED and children’s developmental outcomes. The average direct effect (ADE), of SED in the first model with a history of hospital admissions, was ADE: ES= -0.0875(95% CI =-0.097, -0.08; p<0.001) and ACME: ES= -0.0002 (95% CI=-0.001, -0.0001; p=0.01). The proportion mediated by the history of mental health admission was 0.3%.Conclusion: The association between SED and children’s developmental outcomes appears to be partially mediated by maternal mental health, although the proportional-mediated effect was very small.

AB - Background: Socioeconomic deprivation has been linked to negative child developmental outcomes, including brain development, psychological well-being, educational attainment, and social-emotional well-being. Maternal mental health has also been linked to mothers’ parenting practices and their children’s developmental outcomes. However, limited evidence exists regarding the role of maternal mental health (prenatal and postnatal) in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and children’s developmental outcomes. Methods: We examined the potential role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation (SED) and child development outcomes. We used a large linked administrative health dataset covering children born between 2011 and 2015 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Of the 76,483 participants, 55,856 mothers with matched children’s developmental outcome data were included. A mediation analysis model, adjusted for confounders and covariates, was used. Results: Maternal mental health assessed by a history of hospital admissions mediated, but to a small extent, the relationship between SED and children’s developmental outcomes. The average direct effect (ADE), of SED in the first model with a history of hospital admissions, was ADE: ES= -0.0875(95% CI =-0.097, -0.08; p<0.001) and ACME: ES= -0.0002 (95% CI=-0.001, -0.0001; p=0.01). The proportion mediated by the history of mental health admission was 0.3%.Conclusion: The association between SED and children’s developmental outcomes appears to be partially mediated by maternal mental health, although the proportional-mediated effect was very small.

KW - mental illness

KW - developmental delays

KW - infant

U2 - 10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5

DO - 10.1007/s10995-025-04050-5

M3 - Article

SN - 1092-7875

VL - 29

SP - 338

EP - 348

JO - Maternal and Child Health Journal

JF - Maternal and Child Health Journal

ER -

Examining the potential mediating role of maternal mental health in the association between socioeconomic deprivation and child development outcomes

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Keywords

UN SDGs

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