# Psychological distress and subjective health status of adolescents living with a sibling with care needs: a population-based study

## TL;DR

Adolescents with a sibling needing care are more likely to experience psychological distress and poor health, especially those aged 18–19.

## Contribution

This study uses a large population-based sample to show the mental and physical health impacts on siblings of adolescents with care needs.

## Key findings

- Adolescents with a sibling with care needs had higher odds of psychological distress (OR 2.47) and poor self-rated health (OR 2.21).
- The association was stronger for older adolescents (18–19 years) compared to younger ones (15–17 years).

## Abstract

Growing up with a sibling with a chronic health problem or a disability requiring assistance can affect the lives of the family members in various ways. Previous studies documented health problems among siblings of children with a chronic health problem or a disability. However, these studies are limited in that they tend to rely on small convenience samples of children with specific illnesses/disabilities. This study aims to investigate mental health and self-rated health status of siblings of such children using data from a population study in Japan.

We used data from the 2016 wave of Japan’s Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. The analytic sample included 16,510 adolescents aged 15–19 years who were living with a sibling with or without care needs. The outcomes were psychological distress as defined by K6 score of 13 or higher and poor self-rated health. We examined these health outcomes of adolescents who have a sibling with care needs to relative to adolescents with a sibling without such needs via logistic regression.

Adolescents who live with a sibling with care needs were more likely to have psychological distress (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.47; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.46–4.17) and poor self-rated health (OR 2.21; 95% CI, 1.30–3.75). These associations were more pronounced in post-high school age (18–19 years old) group than in high school age (15–18 years old) group.

The presence of a child with care needs in the household was associated with spillover psychological distress and poorer subjective health among siblings. Providing support for children/adolescents with care needs may have additional benefits in terms of well-being of their siblings.