Depression link to chronic child illness - Study

According to British researchers, a new study has revealed a link between chronic physical illness in children and mental health problems in later life. 

Experts at the University of Sussex and University College London found evidence that chronic childhood illness increases the risk of depression and anxiety in adulthood.

Researchers reviewed evidence from a large number of medical studies, looking for links between eight chronic physical illnesses in childhood, such as arthritis, asthma and cancer, and emotional problems in later life.

The research revealed that sufferers of all chronic conditions reviewed were at heightened risk of developing depression or anxiety that persisted beyond childhood.

According to experts , the results suggested mental health prevention strategies targeting chronic illness sufferers in youth could be vital to help prevent serious long-term conditions.

A senior researcher on the project at the University of Sussex, Psychologist Dr Darya Gaysina, said cancer in particular was found to be significantly linked to adult depression.

"Very little is known about life-long effects of childhood chronic physical illness on mental health," she said.

"Our results show that childhood chronic physical illness was significantly associated with adult depression in the total sample of more than 45,000 participants we studied.

"In particular, we found that cancer was significantly associated with adult depression."

Gaysina felt the link highlighted in the study could help mental health professionals approach young patients with chronic conditions in a different way.

The paper is published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.