Child Disability and Effects on Sibling Mental Health
Mental health disorders are the leading cause of childhood disability worldwide. We examine the impact of a relatively common household stressor on child mental health: the presence of a younger sibling with a physical disability. Using Danish administrative data from families with at least 3 children, we focus on differences between first and second born children in families with and without a 3rd child with a disability. Second-born children in these families spend a larger fraction of their early childhood in families that may be under stress. We find that second-born children are 11 percent more likely to use mental health services than first-born children. There is a 19% increase in psychiatric visits and a 16% increase in use of psychiatric medications. These results are confirmed by matching models.
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