title: Risk factors for child mental health problems in Lithuania: The role of parental nationality.
abstract: We compare the mental health status of children who reside in Lithuania with parents who are either Lithuanian nationals or non-Lithuanian nationals.
  
  
  
  Data were drawn from the School Child Mental Health Europe survey (SCMHE), a cross-sectional survey of school children aged 6-11years. A total of 1152 Lithuanian children participated, among them 11.7% from a non-Lithuanian family. Child mental health was assessed using the Dominique Interactive (DI) and the parent- and teacher Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parental attitudes were evaluated, and socio-demographics were collected.
  
  
  
  Overall 26.7% of non-Lithuanian versus 17.2% of Lithuanian children reported having an internalizing disorder (p=0.01) mainly due to separation anxiety (16.4% versus 10.2%, p=0.04). Odds ratio (OR) for child-reported internalizing disorders was 1.86 (95% CI=1.17-2.96) once adjusted for other factors including being a girl, to be younger, parental unemployment and low caring and low autonomy parental attitudes which were associated with greater odds of internalizing disorders. In addition, 31.9% of non-Lithuanian reported suicidal thoughts versus 22.0% of Lithuanian children p=.02); OR=1.60 (95% CI=1.04-2.46) once adjusted for single parent, parental unemployment, parental alcohol problems and overreactivity attitude.
  
  
  
  Being a non-national minority in Lithuania is a risk factor for child mental health. These findings suggest that further studies are needed to inform local policy-makers on targeted prevention and intervention programs in these children.
authors.affiliation: EA 4057 Paris Descartes University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes de Santé Publique (EHESP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kovess Masfety
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Sigita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lesinskiene
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, Institut Universitaire de France, Laboratoire de Psychologie EA4139, Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: mathilde-maya.husky@u-bordeaux.fr.
authors.forename: Mathilde M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Husky
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMRS1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: EA 4057 Paris Descartes University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes de Santé Publique (EHESP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Phuong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: EA 4057 Paris Descartes University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes de Santé Publique (EHESP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fermanian
authors.affiliation: EA 4057 Paris Descartes University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes de Santé Publique (EHESP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ondine
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors