Mental health in Spanish minors. Socioeducational variables

Abstract

Background. Research on minors’ mental health is a current necessity as a way to detect, analyze and prevent possible mental disorders.

Objective The goal of this study was to analyze the influence of minors’ educational stage and their parents’ occupational social class as risk factors for minors’ mental health.

Method We used the results obtained in the National Spanish Health Survey 2006, with a sample of 5812 minors between 4 and 15 years of age. Measures associated with the independent variables were estimated through the measurement of mental health on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-parents’ version).

Results The relation between mental health and the variables occupational social class 1 (more privileged) (O.R. 0.256) and social class 2 (middle class) (O.R. 0.523) was significant (p<0.05) in comparison with social class 3 (more disadvantaged). However, whether the minors were in pre-school (O.R. 1.138) or primary school (O.R. 1.162) was nonsignificant (p>0.05) in comparison with secondary school.

Discussion and conclusion It is concluded that high and middle occupational social classes are protector factors for minors’ mental health in comparison to belonging to a low occupational social class. However, being a student in pre-school or in primary school is not a risk factor for mental health in comparison to being a secondary school student.