Stability and change in self-reported risk and resilience factors associated with mental health of siblings of individuals with and without neurodevelopmental conditions over 15 months

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) are a minority population at higher genetic and environmental risk of poorer neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes compared to siblings of individuals without NDCs.

METHOD

Measured over a 15-month interval between 2021 and 2022, the present prospective follow-up study is the first Bayesian examination of the unique relationships between self-reported modifiable individual-level risk, resilience, and neuropsychiatric variables amongst siblings of persons with (n = 134) and without (n = 143) NDCs (mean age 22.42, range 9–38 years, 75.81% female, 79.78% White Caucasian).

RESULTS

The NDC group maintained elevated rates of self-reported mental health diagnoses at follow-up (effect size δ −0.57), with greater risk and fewer resilience variables than controls (δ ranging 0.50–1.07). The NDC group demonstrated group-level worsening of depression (δ −0.32). At the participant level, NDC siblings had statistically reliable declines in executive functioning and self-regulation (anxiety, empathy, attention, cognitive reappraisal) compared to the controls. Baseline self-reported sleep difficulties strongly predicted both depression and anxiety at follow-up for NDC siblings. Life events had minimal impact on mental health outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS

Findings suggest the clinical utility of interventions for NDC siblings could be improved with a multi-modal approach, and monitoring and targeting changes in transdiagnostic risk factors contributing to poorer mental health.

Keywords

Neurodevelopment*, Bayes*, sibling, mental health, neurocognition

Link to Publisher Version (URL)

10.1080/18387357.2024.2305726

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