Quantifying cross-sectional and longitudinal associations in mental health symptoms within families: network models applied to UK cohort data.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Families offer promising targets for mental health interventions. Existing evidence investigates parent-child dyads or partners; we use an innovative approach to look at triads of parents and their children. This gives us more detail on mental health dimensions and individuals central to mental health transmission in families.

Design

Both cross-sectional and longitudinal network models SETTING: We identified triads of children (under age 16), mothers and fathers from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, between 2009 and 2022.

Participants and methods

Cross-sectional networks captured independent associations between family members' mental health (n=8795 families). Longitudinal networks examined directional temporal associations among family members' emotion

SUBMITTER: Bai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12506059 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature