Longitudinal Mental Health Outcomes of Parents and Their Children, Experiencing Very Preterm and Term Birth

Children born very preterm (less than 32 weeks of gestation) are at higher risk of developing mental health problems. Parents of these children can also show symptoms of postnatal distress after their birth, although it is not clear whether these symptoms go on to become more serious mental health problems. This thesis explores the relationships between mental health outcomes in children born very preterm and mental health outcomes of their parents, using different forms of measurement, at many points in the lifespan.