Children's mental health can impact their ability to work later in life

Free Malaysia Today

21 hours ago

In England, one child in five has a probable mental health issue, and one in four is obese. (Envato Elements pic)
PARIS : Severe mental issues that begin in childhood leave deep scars well beyond the first years of life. A study by the UK's Institute for Public Policy Research reveals that they can severely compromise the ability to work in adulthood, with considerable social and financial consequences.
This research is based on a long-term study of over 6,000 people born in Britain during the same week in 1970. This data makes it possible to measure the evolution of participants' health and career paths from childhood to adulthood, offering invaluable insight into the long-term consequences of physical or mental health issues experienced very early in life.
The study reveals that children with severe mental or behavioral issues are 85% more likely to develop depression by age 51. They are also 68% more likely to live with a chronic illness that limits their ability to work.
And these findings are not confined to mental health disorders: children who have experienced chronic physical illnesses are also likely to see a decline in their ability to work, with a 38% increased risk of having a limited capacity to work in adulthood.
And there's another worrying fact – for every four children who develop a chronic pathology, one mother leaves the workforce. Often this is to ensure a continuous presence, manage care, and accompany the child on a daily basis – tasks that are difficult to reconcile with a job, even part-time.
Withdrawal from the job market weakens the household financially and socially, with lasting repercussions for the entire family unit.
These figures take on an even more worrying dimension in a context where childhood mental-physical health issues are multiplying and becoming a major public health issue. In England, one child in five has a probable mental health issue, and one in four is obese.
For Olly Parker, head of external affairs at the UK NGO YoungMinds, 'the cost to an individual young person who is struggling with their mental health without the right support is devastating, and the toll is felt on families, friends and the communities around them'.
This view is shared by study co-author Jamie O'Halloran, who sees this as a major issue that is 'not just a matter of improving individual lives, but also of alleviating long-term pressures on the state'.
Basically, it's a social choice that involves caring for children, not because they will incur costs further down the line, but because they have a right to a professional future. As such, prevention is not a luxury, but a necessity.