@article{Kravdal_50_27,
author = {Kravdal, Øystein and Hart, Rannveig and Wörn, Jonathan and Reme, Bjørn-Atle},
title={{The influence of parental cancer on the mental health of children and young adults: Evidence from Norwegian register data on healthcare consultations}},
journal = {Demographic Research},
volume = {50},
number = {27},
pages = {763--796},
doi = {10.4054/DemRes.2024.50.27},
year = {2024},
abstract = {Objective: The aim was to examine how parental cancer affects the mental health of offspring aged 6–30, and age variations in this effect. 

Methods: Individual fixed-effects models were estimated from register data covering the entire Norwegian population in 2010–2018. The outcome variable was whether the individual (offspring) had at least one consultation within a year with a general practitioner (GP) or specialist where a mental health diagnosis or symptom was reported. 

Results: The consultation probability was higher after a parental cancer diagnosis than before (e.g., 15% higher in the first year after the diagnosis). This was to a large extent driven by subsequent parental deaths, but there was also a small post-diagnosis increase among offspring whose parent survived the observation period. The consultation probability increased by 83% the year a parent died among offspring who were 19–30 at that time, after a smaller increase over a few of the preceding years. A decline occurred later. The death seemed to have a weaker, but more lasting, effect on those who were 8–18 years old at the time of the death, and these did not experience a clear pre-death increase. 

Conclusions: Parental cancer death seems to weaken offspring’s mental health – and no less among young adults than among children. By contrast, having a parent with cancer who remains alive at least throughout the observation period has relatively little impact. 

Contribution: We show associations between parental cancer and offspring’s mental health, paying special attention to whether the parent dies. This may inform discussions about supporting offspring. },
URL = {https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol50/27/},
eprint = {https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol50/27/50-27.pdf}
}