Children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MID-BIF) are at increased risk of mental health problems. Yet it remains unclear to what extent these problems are associated with the broader social and family contexts in which these children grow up. This dissertation therefore adopts a contextual perspective to examine whether social determinants across multiple life domains relate to mental health problems in children with MID-BIF.
Across a systematic review and three population-based register studies, the findings consistently show that children with MID-BIF and mental health problems grow up in socio-economically disadvantaged contexts. Key risk factors include low parental education, low household income, single-parent households, and parental mental and physical health problems. These disadvantages frequently cluster within families, indicating multidimensional and cumulative vulnerability rather than isolated risks. While some contextual risks...
Show moreChildren with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MID-BIF) are at increased risk of mental health problems. Yet it remains unclear to what extent these problems are associated with the broader social and family contexts in which these children grow up. This dissertation therefore adopts a contextual perspective to examine whether social determinants across multiple life domains relate to mental health problems in children with MID-BIF.
Across a systematic review and three population-based register studies, the findings consistently show that children with MID-BIF and mental health problems grow up in socio-economically disadvantaged contexts. Key risk factors include low parental education, low household income, single-parent households, and parental mental and physical health problems. These disadvantages frequently cluster within families, indicating multidimensional and cumulative vulnerability rather than isolated risks. While some contextual risks are shared with other children receiving mental health care, socio-economic disadvantage is more pronounced when MID-BIF and mental health problems co-occur. Moreover, contextual vulnerability differs within the MID-BIF group: children with internalizing or externalizing problems are more likely to experience socio-economic adversity than those with developmental conditions such as autism. The findings highlight the interdependence of child and parental health and underscore the need for holistic, family-oriented, and context-sensitive mental health care that goes beyond symptom-focused approaches.
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