Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42771043›Full record

ArticleArchives of women's mental health2026

Examining the direction of association between attendance-related difficulties and maternal depression symptoms in two UK birth cohorts.

Jennifer McGahan, Rebecca M Pearson, Holly Fraser, Amy Campbell, Jasmine Hearn, Elizabeth Braithwaite, Lucy Bowes, Jonathan Hill, Helen Sharp, Nicky Wright

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Article in Archives of women's mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jennifer McGahanSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. jennifer.mcgahan@mmu.ac.uk.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3629-8289
Rebecca M PearsonSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Holly FraserBristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Amy CampbellBristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Jasmine HearnSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Elizabeth BraithwaiteSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Lucy BowesDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Jonathan HillSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Helen SharpDepartment of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Nicky WrightSchool of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePoor school attendance is a high priority for schools. Parental mental health is associated with school attendance problems, however, the direction of this relationship is unclear. This study examines the longitudinal direction of association between school attendance-related difficulties and parental mental health in two prospective UK birth cohorts.

methodsData from two prospective birth cohorts were utilised: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (n = 6375) and the Wirral Child Health and Development Study (WCHADS) (n = 718).

resultsIn ALSPAC, school avoidant behaviours were associated with increased likelihood of subsequent maternal depression symptoms above clinical threshold (RR = 1.48 [95% CI 1.11, 2.00] p = 0.006) but maternal depression was not associated with later school avoidance (RR = 1.02 [95% CI 0.74, 1.40] p = 0.911). Similarly, separation anxiety behaviours were associated with increased maternal depression (RR = 1.20 [95% CI 1.21, 1.30], p < 0.001) but maternal depression did not predict later separation anxiety (RR = 1.06 [0.97,1.15] p = 0.237). In WCHADS, attendance-related difficulties at age 7 were associated with higher maternal depression symptoms at age 9 (b = 0.22, 95% CI 0.03, 0.42, p = 0.028), whereas maternal depression symptoms at age 7 were not associated with attendance-related difficulties at age 9 (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.78, 1.23, p = 0.869).

conclusionsWe provide the first evidence that relationships between maternal mental health and school attendance-related difficulties most likely operate from child behaviours to maternal depression, not the other way around. This indicates that attendance interventions should replace parenting blaming narratives and instead integrate support for parents when issues arise.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismDepressionMothersSchoolsAdultAnxiety, SeparationBirth CohortChildFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMental HealthProspective StudiesUnited KingdomALSPACMaternal mental healthSchool attendanceSchool avoidanceWHCADS

Identifiers

PMID42771043
PMCPMC13597554

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.