Original Research Differences Between Only Children and Children With 1 Sibling Referred to a Psychiatric Clinic: A Test of Richards and Goodman’s Findings

Since early in the 20th century, when G Stanley Hall statedthat being an only child was a disease in itself (1), many theorists and researchers have investigated whether only chil-dren differed from nononly children with regard to mental health. In general, data from community samples have been contradictory. In Quebec, Bergeron and colleagues reported that only children, especially those aged 6 to 11 years, were more at risk for mental disorders than were children with at least 1 sibling (2). In a Finnish study, only children were found to be significantly more likely to have a psychiatric dis-272 Can J Psychiatry, Vol 49, No 4, April 2004 Objective: To test Richards and Goodman’s hypothesis that a higher proportion of only children under age 5 years assessed in a psychiatric department do not present a psychiatric diagnosis, compared with preschool children with 1 sibling, and to investigate other variables relative to children in this age group with no psychiatric disorder, in light of Richards and Goodman’s findings. Method: We gathered data from 169 children under age 5 years seen in the psychiatric department of a large pediatric hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Results: First, bivariate analysis showed no differences between the proportion of only children and children with 1 sibling regarding absence of a psychiatric diagnosis. Second, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that child’s age and mother’s child-rearing attitudes were significant variables. Younger children (that is, age 0 to 2 years) and children whose mothers had “adequate ” child-rearing attitudes (that is, not exhibiting significant impatience, rejection, stubbornness, neglect, or overprotectiveness) were more likely to have no disorder. Conclusion: These findings run counter to Richards and Goodman’s results and suggest that other variables, such as child’s age and mother’s behaviour, are significant predictors of children under age 5 years having no diagnosis. (Can J Psychiatry 2004;49:272–277) Information on author affiliations appears at the end of the article.

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